Police Are Stressed And Appoint Revenue Staff Where Police Are Not Needed: Bombay HC Tells Maharashtra Government

The court also said that the police should seriously consider the threats given to medical personnel to vacate their homes and take action against those criminals.

The Aurangabad bank of the Bombay High Court noted on Tuesday that “the police machinery is under great stress and strain” and ordered the Maharashtra government to relieve the staff, who are involved in tasks related to the coronavirus disease (Covid- 19), with other employees of the revenue department.

A single-judge bank of Judge R V Ghuge noted that many revenue department employees are out of service and may be deployed to deal with requests seeking travel passes, immigration permits to lessen the burden on the police.

“The state government should consider deploying such revenue officers, especially those under the age of 50, in order to deal with such activities and matters in which police personnel need not be necessary,” he said in the order. The court ordered the government and local authorities to assign such duties to “off duty” employees of the revenue department in areas where surveillance or the presence of law enforcement authorities is not necessary.

The court was also aware of an incident in which a nurse working at the Aurangabad District General Hospital in the Chikalthana area was assaulted at her home by a group of people who threatened to leave society, as the locals They feared that he could transmit the coronavirus infection there. He said that the police should seriously consider the threats given to medical personnel to vacate their homes and take action against those criminals.

Government defender D R Kale said COVID-19 warriors would receive adequate protection through the local administration and the police.

Amicus curie advocate A R Joshi said some of the residents have created blockages in the colonies and internal pathways wherever a coronavirus positive patient is observed. “Police authorities should initiate measures to remove such unauthorized blockades and instead apply the law and restrictions with full force under the Constitution and the rights of individuals.”

Judge Ghuge ordered the state government to resort to legally permitted effective measures to implement blockade restrictions.

The Court also expressed concern over the facilities that thousands of sugarcanes harvested by daily wage workers (Oos Tod Kamgar) provide seasonal service to almost 12 sugar factories in Marathwada after advocate AR Joshi informed the bank of a list of foster homes or community canteen for them.

The Court noted that according to the list given by the Collector of the Aurangabad District, until April 16, only 9542 displaced employees had registered in community canteens with the capacity to serve 14293 people.

Government leader Kale claimed that many other posted workers may have registered later and that the full data could be submitted to the Court within four weeks.

The local administration strives every day to deal with the situation and is committed to caring for these displaced / migrant workers, Kale said. Seeking responses from authorities on the concerns raised, the Court released a new hearing on June 12.

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