Uproar over food at Ganeshnagar QC

Uproar over food at Ganeshnagar QC
 

Morung Express News
Dimapur | June 23

Police personnel stationed at the Ganeshnagar Quarantine Centre in Dimapur have been accused of assaulting returnees quarantined at the Centre. As per video clippings of the alleged incident, which went viral on social media, police guards reportedly assaulted and tased inmates for complaining about food provided at the centre.    

The assault occurred on the night of June 22. No information was forthcoming from police officials posted at the QC but other officials said that there was a commotion during dinner time, which escalated into a confrontation. 

“Maybe it was because of the hot weather, chicken provided to some of the inmates were found to be stale. They complained and there was a commotion,” said one official.

Though it was not officially confirmed, the meat was said to have been replaced but the protests continued and tempers rose.

Occupants in the nearby dorm hearing the commotion tried to join but were prevented by the guards from joining the protestors.

There was resistance and things got violent culminating with the guards charging the protestors. 

Videos purported to be of the incident showed some of the inmates with bruises on the body sustained as a result of the preventive police action.  

There was no official comment or report in connection to the alleged incident from any Nagaland state government official. Repeated messages and calls to the QC officials and Director General of Police went unanswered. 

Officials of the Health Department and the Empowered Group for Dimapur declined to comment citing the QC was under the direct charge of the Police Headquarters. A district administration official informed that the Dimapur District Task Force had assigned an official to the QC for an incident report. 

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister, Y Patton told a section of journalists in Kohima today that he has directed the DGP to inquire into the alleged incident.   

NMA demands govt action
The Naga Mothers’ Association, in a press release, termed the alleged incident as “unacceptable behavior and violence” on the part of uniformed personnel. The NMA said that the returnees have equal human rights and “sending certain returnees to Ganesh Nagar for indiscipline cannot give the uniformed police to go for unacceptable physical assault and threats.”

“We unequivocally condemn such violence in the midst of the pandemic. The pictures are proof and Government must take action on the perpetrators and restore our faith on the rule of law and the rights of returnees to good healthy food and security of their lives.”