Police machinery under great stress: Bombay HC

The Bombay high court (HC) on Tuesday said that the “police machinery is under great stress and strain” and directed the Maharashtra government to relieve police

The Bombay high court (HC) on Tuesday said that the “police machinery is under great stress and strain” and directed the Maharashtra government to relieve police personnel of Covid-19 duties wherever possible by engaging other public servants for the duties.

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“For example, if migrant workers, displaced persons or students desire to return to their native places and need to register themselves, the government and the local administration can utilise ‘of-duty’ employees of the revenue department, to ease the burden on the police department,” said justice Ravindra Ghuge.

The judge noted that in its endeavour to prevent the spread of Covid-19, the state government has deployed police almost everywhere. “Police personnel are deployed on streets, at railway stations, in various localities, and are even asked to handle applications for seeking travel passes and permissions to migrate,” said the judge.

He added that several revenue employees are not on duty and the government should consider deploying these employees, especially those below 50 years of age, to deal with such activities and issues for which police presence is not a must.

Justice Ghuge was hearing a suo-motu petition concerning several issues relating to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The court also directed the authorities to provide appropriate protection to corona warriors – doctors and paramedics working round the clock for treatment of Covid-19 patients. It took note of the threats by residents to a staff nurse working with the district general hospital at Aurangabad and directed the authorities to register offences against such individuals who threaten, abuse, or assault medical or paramedical staff.

“I am of the view that the time has come to direct the authorities concerned to register offences against such residents,” said the bench.

Locals in Aurangabad had threatened to assault the husband and son of the staff nurse if the family failed to leave the locality and damaged their car. The court was informed that the residents of the locality in a City Industrial Development Corporation Ltd (Cidco) area were apprehensive that the staff nurse would introduce the coronavirus in the locality. The threats stopped only after local police stepped in.