DIMAPUR, April 4 - A doctor was allegedly assaulted by police personnel at Purana Bazar here on Friday night when he was returning home from work. The cops accosted Dr Nesozol Sezo near his house and physically assaulted him, besides damaging his car.
In the complaint filed with the Dimapur Deputy Commissioner on Saturday, Sezo, a senior medical officer of the Medziphema Primary Health Centre, said that his car was stopped by a group of police personnel near the DHB petrol pump at around 11.30 pm on Friday while he was on his way back home after performing his duty at the Dimapur District Hospital.
Sezo, who was attached to the district hospital in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, said the policemen beat him up and damaged his car as he was not wearing a mask even after he told them that he is a doctor and on duty, besides showing his identity card and sticker pasted on his car.
He said that he went to the hospital early in the morning as Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, Deputy Chief Minister Y Patton and Chief Secretary Temjen Toy, among others, were to inspect the quarantine centre in Dimapur.
Sezo said since he is one of the quarantine officers in Dimapur, he was making necessary arrangements for the designated quarantine centre and was looking after the quarantined people admitted there.
Nagaland Director General of Police T John Longkumer on Saturday apologised to Dr Sezo and the medical fraternity for the incident and promised an inquiry.
Longkumer said that he, as the head of the police department, wished to tender his sincere apologies to Dr Sezo and the medical fraternity for the unfortunate incident.
�I appeal to all our medical brethren for your forbearance and forgiveness,� he said.
�An enquiry is being conducted and action will be taken against those found guilty,� the State police chief said in the statement posted on the official Twitter handle of the Nagaland Police.
The Dimapur Naga Students Union (DNSU), the Dimapur District Citizens� Forum (DDCF) and the Health Centre Management Committee, Community Health Centre Medziphema, have vehemently condemned the assault on the doctor.
The DNSU said the police personnel stopped the doctor�s car and started asking him �extraneous questions� and accused him of not wearing mask before physically assaulting him causing severe injuries.
It further said that a teacher, Satish Sarkar, who was undergoing medical treatment, was also physically assaulted by policemen with sticks while he was on his way to hospital on Friday.
