Srinagar: After facing criticism for its highhandedness in dealing with health workers, the Jammu and Kashmir Police on Wednesday handed out roses to the medical staff at the Lal Ded (LD) Hospital in Srinagar. This comes after Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir, Vijay Kumar, had assured an impartial enquiry into these incidents.
The reconciliatory gesture by the police has come after health workers across Kashmir complained of being manhandled by police personnel enforcing the lockdown in recent weeks.
Local newswire Kashmir News Observer quoted unnamed police officials to say that the roses were distributed among the health workers “to honour them for their services”. The unnamed official was further quoted as having said that the move was to send a message to health workers that “we are one in this situation, and we will ensure the safety of all with full honour and dignity”.
In recent weeks several health workers have been allegedly manhandled by police officials.
On 23 May 2020, a senior cardiologist, Syed Maqbool, was allegedly beaten by the police and locked up in police station Zadibal for eight hours. The incident had evoked severe criticism against the police department.
Earlier on 19 May 2020, an ambulance driver Tariq Ahmad from Shopian was beaten at Pulwama by the police when he was driving two patients to the local hospital.
Yesterday on 27 May 2020, Chief Medical Officer of Bandipora, Dr Tajamul Hussain, was stopped by the police when he was on his way to the hospital, triggering a fresh row into the police highhandedness.
