Lockdown 2.0: Kerala man forced to carry aged father on shoulders from hospital to autorickshaw

The man alleged that policemen stopped the autorickshaw over 100 metres away from the hospital and made him carry his father to the waiting vehicle because he was not carrying the self-declaration form.

The human rights commission in Kerala has sought a report from the Kollam Police after a viral video purportedly showing a man carrying his 82-year-old father on his shoulder for over 100 metres during the lockdown surfaced on social media.

A person carried his old father in Punalur for 100 meters to his autorickshaw after he was allegedly stopped by the police for not carrying a self-declaration form during the lockdown. (ANI)

The district police authorities allegedly stopped his auto-rickshaw over 100 metres away from a hospital on the pretext that he was not carrying the self-declaration form during the lockdown to check the spread of coronavirus.

The incident occurred on Wednesday when Roy Matthew visited the Punalur taluk hospital in Kollam district to bring back his father home, who was discharged from the medical facility.

Roy alleged that the policemen stopped the auto-rickshaw over 100 metres away from the hospital and made him carry his father to the waiting vehicle, as he was not carrying the self-declaration form.

A self-declaration form, stating the reasons for an individual to venture out is mandatory during the lockdown, which was initially enforced on March 25 to contain the spread of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak and has since been extended till May 3.