KATHMANDU, April 17: Nepalis are going through difficult times, mainly due to the nationwide lockdown imposed by the government to contain the spread of coronavirus. Health professionals and security personnel are on the frontlines of our fight against COVID-19.

Police personnel have been deployed in urban areas to implement the lockdown, and health workers are treating COVID-19 patients in hospitals across the country.

The police have been taking actions against the lockdown violators elsewhere. Thousands have faced action in Kathmandu alone for violating the lockdown orders. The on-duty police personnel are seen interrogating those who come out of their homes.

However, some of the recent incidents suggest police brutality against the ordinary people for violating lockdown orders. Not only ordinary people, health workers have also been beaten by the police.

Incident 1: 

On March 30, a video went viral on social media where a police woman forced a man to sit on the street carrying a cooking gas cylinder. Amid social media uproar, the police headquarters said it would investigate the case.

Incident 2:

Another incident of police brutality came on Thursday evening when three doctors of TU Teaching Hospital were allegedly beaten in the capital.

A day after the incident, the Metropolitan Police Office relieved DSP Umesh Lamsal and others on duty that day for beating the doctors at TUTH.

Incident 3:

In another incident, three people were beaten by the police in the Kalimati area for violating the lockdown orders. A video of the incident, which has gone viral on social media, shows police beating people even when they are trying to explain their case.

Incident 4:

Health assistant Chandra Prakash Khanal from Bishnupaduka Health Post of Dharan Sub-Metropolitan City-20 was beaten by the police on Thursday. Bhes Bahadur Raut, the chief of Panmara Police station, thrashed him with a stick when he was on his way to treat a local patient. "I was beaten even after I showed my ID card to him.” 

Later on Thursday, Sunsari district police chief Dhundiraj Neupane wrote on Facebook that his office was investigating the incident.

Amid extended lockdown, people on social media are blasting the police for their wrongdoings. But the question is: What is triggering the police to act in such a fashion?

 
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