Coronavirus: Maharashtra ASHA worker manhandled; case booked against 4 persons

The incident took place at Khatangale village in Karvir tehsil of Kolhapur on Sunday during the distribution of the homeopathic medicine, recommended by the AYUSH ministry  

Kolhapur: A 42-year-old social health activist was allegedly manhandled by members of a family in Kolhapur in Maharashtra after they were irked over not being given a homeopathic medicine recommended by the AYUSH ministry in the fight against the coronavirus, police said on Tuesday (June 9).

A case has been registered against four people in this connection, they said.

The incident took place at Khatangale village in Karvir tehsil of Kolhapur on Sunday (June 7) during the distribution of the homeopathic medicine, recommended by the AYUSH ministry as prophylactic against the coronavirus infection.

An Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) was also part of the group which was distributing the medicine to villagers who are above 50 years of age.

"Some members of a family asked the ASHA worker why their household was not given the medicine.

"She explained that since nobody in their family was above 50 years of age, the medicine could not be given to them," an official at Karvir police station said.

Irked by the response, some of the family members allegedly manhandled the woman and obstructed her from discharging her duty, the official said.

A case has been registered against four people, Vaishali Patil, Krishnat Patil, Eknath Patil and Pandit Patil, under provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Epidemic Diseases Act and the Disaster Management Act, he added.