A doctor, Dr Nesozol Sezo, was assaulted by police personnel at Purana Bazar in Dimapur on Friday night.
The physician alleged that he was physically assaulted by police personnel while returning home from duty.
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The cops, who accosted him near his house, also damaged his car.
Sezo, the senior medical officer of Medziphema primary health centre, has lodged a complaint with the Dimapur deputy commissioner on Saturday.
In his complaint, Sezo said his car was stopped by a group of police personnel near DHB petrol pump at around 11.30 pm on Friday while he was coming home after completing his duty at the Dimapur district hospital.
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He said he went for duty at 6.30 am on Friday and was returning home tired at night after the day’s busy work.
Sezo, currently engaged at the district hospital, on account of the COVID19 pandemic, said the policemen beat him and damaged his car as he was not wearing a mask though he told them that he is a doctor and on duty.
Sezo said he had also showed them his identity card and the sticker pasted on his car.
He said he went to the hospital early in the morning as chief minister Neiphiu Rio, deputy chief minster Y. Patton and chief secretary Temjen Toy among others were to inspect the quarantine centre in Dimapur.
Sezo said he, as one of the quarantine officers in Dimapur, was making necessary arrangements for the designated quarantine hotel and centre and is looking after the quarantined people admitted there.
Nagaland director-general of police T. John Longkumer on Saturday apologised to Dr Sezo and the medical fraternity for the Friday night assault on the doctor by the police personnel and assured an inquiry into the incident.
Longkumer, in a statement, said he, as the head of the police department, wished to tender his sincere apologies to Dr Sezo and the medical fraternity for the unfortunate incident involving Dr Sezo and a few police personnel on Friday night.
“I appeal to all our medical brethren for your forbearance and forgiveness,” he added.
“An enquiry is being conducted and action will be taken against those found guilty,” the Nagaland Police chief said in the statement posted on the official Twitter handle of the Nagaland Police.
The Dimapur Naga Students’ Union (DNSU), the Dimapur District Citizens’ Forum (DDCF) and the Health Centre Management Committee, Community Health Centre Medziphema, on Saturday vehemently condemned the barbaric assault on the doctor.
The DNSU said the police personnel, alleged to be from the Special Task Force, stopped and started asking the doctor “extraneous questions”, accused him of not wearing mask and began to assault him physically causing severe injuries.
The police also vandalized his vehicle, it said.
It also said a teacher, Satish Sarkar, who was under treatment, was also physically assaulted by the police personnel with a stick while he was going to the hospital on Friday.
The union asked the authorities to take prompt action against the erring police personnel so as to regain public confidence and set an example that no such incident happens in future.
The Health Centre Management Committee questioned the police’s “despicable action” on a doctor during such a time of crisis when the frontline workers are the need of the hour.
The committee urged the authority concerned to take appropriate action against the erring police personnel and deliver justice to the victim.
Condemning the barbaric act, the DDCF said this is not the time to show one’s power or might but to fight the pandemic unitedly.
It said the doctors, nurses and other medical staff are no less important than the security personnel on duty.
They too are in the frontline of the war against COVID19, risking their lives, the federation said and urged the authority concerned to take appropriate action against the erring police personnel.