Ailing woman in Chhattisgarh dies after allegedly turned back from police check post

Mangalore Today News Network

Chhattisgarh, Aug 04, 2020: An ailing 45-year-old woman on way to a hospital died after being allegedly denied to pass through a check post on a highway in Surajpur district by police citing Covid-19 protocol.

 

Police, however, refuted the allegations of the family and claimed the driver of the vehicle assumed that he also needed a pass for inter-district travel and returned from the check post without informing them about the medical emergency.

The Surajpur district collector has ordered an enquiry into the incident and said that action will be taken accordingly.

“The incident took place on August 2, when my wife Bihani Devi (45), who was suffering from cold, cough and fever, was being shifted to a hospital in Ambikapur in Surguja district. When we were going from Balrampur district, we were stopped by policemen at a check post under Chandaura police station in Surajpur district,” Ramadhar Painka, the husband of Bihani Devi told reporters.

The family members also claimed that they showed the hospital prescriptions but police allegedly refused to allow them to cross the check post following which they returned to Wadrafnagar where Bihani Devi was being treated. She died later in the day in the local hospital.

Inspector General of Police, Surajpur, KL Dangi said the charges against the police were not correct and the family members had not told police officers deployed at the check post about the medical emergency.

“A joint team of police, health officials and revenue officers is deployed at the check post because it is highway which connects Uttar Pradesh. For inter-district commutation, no pass is required. It is only for the people coming from other states the passes are checked and that too by other officials not police,” said Dangi.

The IG further said there was a long queue of vehicles at the check post. The family was in a private vehicle along with the ailing woman.

“The driver without asking anyone at the check-post told the family members that a pass is required and hence they went back to Wadrafnagar where the treatment of the woman was going on. The woman died there which is unfortunate,” the IG said.

The officer further said that everyone knows that for inter-district commutation no pass is needed in the state.

Meanwhile, Surajpur Collector Ranbir Sharma said, an enquiry headed by a joint collector has been ordered into the incident.


courtesy: Hindustan Times