COVID-19 sampling in Bandipora turns into ‘scuffle’

A COVID-19 sampling exercise in Ashtengoo village of north Kashmir’s Bandipora district Saturday turned ugly after locals ‘pelted stones’ at the sampling team, forcing it to flee from the spot.

Locals alleged that the “scuffle” broke out after they resisted the videography being done by one of the visiting health workers, who they said, did not listen to them and instead slapped a local.

   

The camp for the sampling was set up at a government school in Ashtengoo Ghat village, some 10 km from the district headquarters following directions by the concerned BMO after several COVID-19 infections and a fatality was reported in the area recently, an official told Greater Kashmir.

They said the villagers resisted the move and attacked the team with stones, damaging the infrastructure.

He said that the team fled from the spot following the incident.

Chief Medical Officer Bandipora, Bashir Ahmad Khan and Block Medical Officer, Bandipora confirmed the incident to Greater Kashmir.

As per the officials, a vehicle was damaged in the incident. They said that the chairs were broken by the locals who also pelted a team of medics with stones.

Locals disputed the accusation of the attack on the visiting sampling team.

“The issue erupted after a member of the medical team was asked by the locals not to make a video of them during the sampling but he reacted by slapping a youth who had asked him not to record them,” Abdul Basit, a villager told Greater Kashmir.

He said that the scuffle broke out between the two sides, leading to disruption of the sampling process.

An official of the SDRF too confirmed that the teams ended the sampling process after the incident.

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