Cops play spoilsport to social activists

Hyderabad: Complaints pour in from NGOs, volunteers, social activists, and also from some locals alleging that the police personnel deployed at the checkpoints halted their free services and social work to the Covid-19 patients and several others affected due to lockdown.

Recently, Tollywood actor Nikhil Siddhartha, who has been actively helping Covid-19 patients with medicine and oxygen requests, was allegedly stopped by the Hyderabad City Police when he was on his way to deliver medicines despite having a prescription.

The actor took to Twitter post and wrote, "Was on the way to deliver emergency life-saving medicines from Uppal to KIMS minister road. Despite showing the prescription and patient details, I was stopped and asked to get an Epass. Tried 9 times (to get an epass) but the server is down. I thought medical emergencies were allowed!!!"

Moreover, the actor also posted photos of him being stopped while he was in his car. Meanwhile, similar complaints and concerns are being raised by other citizen and activist groups, which are offering Covid-19 services in the city by delivering food, medicines, oxygen cylinders, and concentrators to needy patients.

A group of volunteers from a city-based foundation claimed that they were stopped while they were distributing food packets to the homeless and providing one-time meals at the State-run government hospitals which are now totally turned into Covid-19 facilities.

They also requested the State police department not to halt the delivery of essential services like food and medicines.

In another instance social activist Sai Teja reported that the Hyderabad city police are hampering medicine delivery also. "The cops at the check posts are very reluctant to listen to the people's concerns, he added"

The activist also highlighted the issue on Twitter by replying to the tweet of the SR Nagar Police Station's Officer. He replied, "There is a pass on our car. Even after showing the pass the PC (Police Constable) was very reluctant to allow us. He asked us to show a day pass from Telangana cops then only he will allow it. Not sure who told to stop the medicine."

There have also been instances where vehicles of volunteers were seized by police, even after they tried to explain to the cops that they are providing free services to the people affected by lockdown.

A city-based social activist SQ Masood wrote a letter to the State Chief Secretary and Director General of Police. In his letter, he said that several people are facing issues without electronic passes. The State police have made it mandatory to have an electronic pass that can be obtained using the state police website, but he wrote that not everyone is able to access this website to obtain a pass without an Aadhaar card.

"It has been established by the Supreme Court in the Puttaswamy Vs Union of India, the judgment that Aadhaar cannot be made mandatory, yet the police demand it," said Masood.

He further told The Hans India that it is hard for people who may not know English or cannot have access to the website. This is a problem for the vulnerable communities in the State, who speak Urdu and Telugu, and also those who may not have smartphones or laptops with internet connectivity, Masood added.