Amid COVID-19 crisis, 3 health workers attacked in Indore

In yet another case of an attack on COVID-19 frontline fighters, three women ASHA workers were allegedly assaulted by a man in Vinoba Nagar area of Indore on Saturday while they were conducting a survey.

"Our team was conducting the survey in the Vinoba Nagar area, right then a criminal from the area, named Paras, attacked our people. He pelted stones and also slapped them. He is a known criminal and has several past records, he was selling alcohol in the area. Their mobiles were snatched, broken and he also abused them," Dr Praveen Chaure, of the AYUSH Department, told reporters here.

Meanwhile, the Rohini Tiwari and Shilpi Jain, the two others in the team, alleged that the accused had started abusing them without any reason and then attacked the third member in the team.

"We were sitting away from the place and were checking our mobiles when the fight was happening. Suddenly, a person came and attacked our madam, he snatched her mobile and threw it away, shattering it. He also slapped her and held her by the neck," Tiwari said, while Jain too verified the claims made by her.

However, Vinod Dixit, SHO, of the Palasia police station in Indore, said that the workers had been attacked due to confusion and added that an FIR has been recorded in the matter.

"The accused Paras was fighting with his neighbours. The men were fighting and they thought that the female workers have recorded the incident and will send it to the police. Following this, a man snatched a worker's phone and threw it away. A worker has also received a minor injury on her forehead. Her medical is being performed," Dixit said.

The accused was later arrested in the evening.

As per the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Saturday evening, Madhya Pradesh has 1,355 confirmed COVID-19 cases.

Indore is the worst-affected district in Madhya Pradesh due to COVID-19.

( With inputs from ANI )