Published 18:51 IST, April 24th 2020
Chennai police's punishment for loiterers draws laughs galore, Apurva Asrani not pleased
Chennai police's punishment for loiterers amid lockdown drew laughs galore on Twitter. However, Apurva Asrani not pleased at all and termed it 'psychotic.'
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The police force has been at the forefront of the fight againt COVID-19. Apart from being on the streets and ensuring the lockdown rules are followed, many police personnel across the country have employed innovative ideas to inform the citizens to stay at home and maintain social distancing. Be it sharing the various precautions via a performance, making violators do sit-ups or dressing up as a ‘coronavirus’, the main focus of the cops has been to create awareness.
The latest method employed in this regard was by the Chennai Police. The police personnel had an interesting way to ‘punish’ those loiterrering around amid the lockdown. In the video that is going viral, the police forecefully put youngsters into an ambulance, with a fake COVID-19 patient.
With background music and the turn of events shown in fast motion, the youngsters’ efforts to come out of the ambulance and trying to run away from the ‘patient’ left netizens in splits. Director Sanjay Gupta was one of those who termed it as the ‘funniest’ he had seen.
THIS IS THE FUNNIEST I’VE SEEN. 🤣🤣🤣
— Sanjay Gupta (@_SanjayGupta) April 24, 2020
Cops put these loitering guys in an ambulance with a fake Covid patient. https://t.co/qpL8Kl9g9E
The comment section was filled with simlar comments, while also hoping that other police forces also employ the same.
Here are the tweets:
This is superb, modern message for modern youths, can't control my laughter 😂😂🤣 @DelhiPolice in this tough & tiring time please have a hearty laugh, & try to impliment it in Delhi too.. Its awesome
— Mahesh N (@MaheshN46492823) April 24, 2020
😂😂😂😂
— Archana Gupta🇮🇳🇮🇳 (@Archanaanu696) April 24, 2020
This is what's needed😁😁
OMG !! It looks like all these policemen are watching movies a lot, but this was the funniest act from Indian police..😀😀😀👍
— Rajputani Warrior 🇮🇳🕉🇺🇸🙏 (@In__Search) April 24, 2020
Apurva Asrani, however, was not pleased at all. The writer of films like Shahid and Aligarh, felt it was ‘dangerous communication’ by the police and equated the fake COVID-19 patient to a zombie. He felt the move will ‘worsen the unfounded stigma against COVID patienets.’
Apurva also termed it ‘pschotic’ for the patients to be treated as ‘living dead’, highlighting the attacks on doctors and other health workers in recent days.
This is dangerous communication by #ChennaiPolice. Violaters are locked up with a 'dummy' #COVID patient--depicted like a zombie. As they run for dear life 'they learn a lesson'. While this may deter a few on the roads, it will worsen the unfounded stigma against COVID patients. https://t.co/waSFzyWVLm
— Apurva (@Apurvasrani) April 24, 2020
We are dealing with discrimination against COVID patients, attacks on doctors, because of the false communication that this is a killer virus that won't spare anyone. Over 96% of infected patients WILL recover. Stop treating #COVID patients as the living dead, @chennaipolice_ .
— Apurva (@Apurvasrani) April 24, 2020
Please see the number of laughs and applause this video is getting. Same people are also writing thankyou posts to doctors and corona warriors. Psychotic.
— Apurva (@Apurvasrani) April 24, 2020
Expected better from the police
— Apurva (@Apurvasrani) April 24, 2020
The attack on doctors and health workers in Indore and Moradabad had made headlines in recent days. Many celebrities like Anushka Sharma, Ajay Devgn, Ayushmann Khurrana have expressed strong opinions over the attacks.
18:51 IST, April 24th 2020