Five arrested for attacking ASHA workers, policemen during survey in Faridabad

The Faridabad police arrested five people for allegedly assaulting a 39-year-old ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) worker on Tuesday, while she was conducting

The Faridabad police arrested five people for allegedly assaulting a 39-year-old ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) worker on Tuesday, while she was conducting the door to door surveillance on Covid-19 on behalf of the district administration.

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Five policemen, who tried to intervene, were also assaulted.

According to the police, the incident took place at Ashiyana Apartment, an affordable housing colony in Sector 62 of Ballabhgarh. The suspects have been identified as Ird Khan alias Pappu, Shekhawat, Hafiz, Jalalu and Nafis. All the suspects are neighbours, police said.

A case was registered under sections 148 (rioting), 149 (unlawful assembly), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter a public servant from his duty), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), at Adarsh Nagar police station. The suspects were produced before a district magistrate on Tuesday evening and sent to jail in judicial custody for 14 days.

Sharma immediately informed her senior medical officers, who were near the spot. They in turn informed the police control room and the nearest police station. “The group started using vulgar language and abused the administration. They fished out wooden sticks and iron rods from inside their home and threatened to take us hostage. Within 10 minutes, a police team from Adarsh Nagar arrived and tried to intervene but they attacked all of us with sticks and rods ,” she said.

Kailash Chander, station house officer of Adarsh Police station, said that a team of 10 policemen had reached the spot and they had tried to pacify the residents. But some of them turned violent. “We called for backup to control the situation, as the suspects had called their neighbours and more than 20 people had gathered at the spot,” he said.

Sharma and two police personnel sustained injuries on their head, arms, shoulders, and legs in the incident, and were taken to a private hospital.

ASHA workers have been deployed by the district administration to conduct door-to-door survey in all the residential areas and collect data on people having cough, cold and fever symptoms. They act as a bridge between the community and the public healthcare system in India and since mid-March, they have been conducting surveys to gather information about those who are likely to be affected by Covid-19 in the state.

KK Rao, Faridabad’s commissioner of police, said that they often receive complaints from these ASHA workers. “We have informed all station house officers to take strict action against those who misbehave with ASHA workers or medical teams,” he said.

Faridabad deputy commissioner Yashpal Yadav also said that the health department and ASHA workers are facing regular harassment during these surveys. “We have requested police commissioner to act against anyone found abusing these workers or refusing to cooperate with them,” he said.

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