Covid lawbreakers continue to give police personnel a harrowing time

Our Correspondent
Kohima, June 7 (EMN): Police personnel have been implementing lockdown measures since Covid-19 outbreak started last year, checking non-essential movement of both vehicles and people, despite the risk of contracting the virus.

While some organisations and individuals have reached out to them, providing refreshments to show their appreciation, the cops manning the streets continue to have a harrowing time controlling people who breach lockdown norms.

Eastern Mirror found during an inspection of Kohima streets of Kohima on Sunday night that some citizens still continue to openly flout lockdown norms, disregarding the law and the presence of police personnel manning the streets.

Two youths, who claimed themselves to be frontline workers, created a scene on Sunday night after the police officers issued a challen for violating the lockdown rules by riding on a motorbike under the influence, not wearing mask and without helmet (rider).

However, the duo who failed to produce identity cards to prove that they were frontline workers, pleaded to let them go without being penalised

When the cops insisted that they had to pay fine for breaking Covid-19 norms as per the law, one of the youths started even asking the names of the officers on duty. ‘Instead of us asking you questions, you are asking us,’ said one of the police officers.

“You are being penalised because you are creating nuisance in public,” the officer said to the offenders, adding,”You (offenders) are just cooking up stories.”

The police officers had a hard time reminding the defaulters that they should be helping their fellow frontline workers “if they are part of them” instead of loitering in the streets in inebriated state.

After finally paying the fine, one of the youths tried to shake hands with the officers, which isn’t advisable during the pandemic.

Soon after the duo left the scene, police personnel encountered another harrowing episode as a shirtless youth angrily shouted at them while they were checking another vehicle with six labourers from a neighbouring state who had come to work in the state capital without proper documents.

The youth, who was in inebriated state, parked his car at the roadside, started verbally abusing an IRB personnel on duty, demanding the reason for intervening.

‘I saw him being shirtless and without mask while speeding his car and honking behind a truck late at night, so I tried to check in but he came out and jeered at me,’ said the security personnel.

Despite one of the police officers trying to reason with the offender, he was uncompromising, forcing the police personnel to take him to Kohima North Police Station.

‘We asked him to put on his shirt but he was challenging and questioning us,’ said the officer, adding, “He (offender) is so arrogant.”

“He could be arrested on three to four different counts,” the officer said, adding that they “feel so discouraged” sometimes because of such people who are not “law abiding”.

The cop lamented that some people don’t have any respect for law and continue to disregard government’s directives.

A police officer also informed that some ply without proper permit. ‘There are cars which are found to be plying with car pass stickers alone without even seal and signature from the competent authority,’ he said.

Two youth on a scooty, claiming to be delivery staff, too couldn’t produce their identity cards when a police officer demanded.