Gracy Tripathy
Port Blair, Oct 05: On 3rd October afternoon, reports of scuffle between 13 Corona Warriors of Health Department and the Director of Transport Department surfaced. Although both the sides are claiming that the attack came from the other side but finally a case was registered against 12 Health Workers and one STS bus driver (who were in COVID-19 duty) for attacking Dr. Navlendra Singh the Director of Transport Department.
Now people supporting the Health Worker are alleging that the action taken against these 13 people is completely biased because according to them nobody among these 13 people attacked the Director of Transport Department. They claimed that the first attack came from the Director himself, who reportedly slapped the STS bus driver for no reasons.
As per them after the slapping incident, many people gathered around the area and some unknown people attacked the Director.
Andaman Sheekha also spoke to Dr. Navlendra Singh the Director of Transport Department in this regard to get his version of the story.
Dr. Singh however, maintained that the first attack came from the Health Workers, nine of whom, according to him, were drunk and all were also misbehaving.
“They were manhandling me and when I pushed them away nearly 12 of them attacked me and hit me wherever they found a place to hit. They tore my dress and were not even allowing me to reach to my car. Anyhow when I reached the car, they tried to attack my driver and snatch the keys of the car. Some of them sat on the bonnet of my car to block my way. They also hurled abuses on me,” Dr. Singh added.
Dr. Singh said that the attack was so violent that he was bleeding and later he got three stitches inside his mouth and three outside.
Later the Director of Transport Department registered a complaint in PS Phargaon and subsequently all 13 Corona Warriors were arrested and were later sent to Judicial Custody.
Eyewitnesses said that the Director of Transport was on an inspection near Bhatu Basti area, where he noticed a non-AC STS bus parked and thick smoke was coming out of the engine. When he reached to the Bus and asked the driver to come out, this incident took place.
Meanwhile, one of the Health Workers reportedly also sustained injuries and doctors found swelling inside his ear and also blood clotting around the jaw. The health worker claimed that the Director of Transport had slapped him.
There are many who are now alleging that the case was made one sided because of the pressure from the senior officer. However police sources maintained that the investigation was completely transparent and unbiased.
