Volunteers harassed, beaten up and asked for identity by locals

New Delhi: Volunteers, who are on ground providing ration and food to migrant workers and vulnerable people amid lockdown, have alleged they are being harassed by goons.

Claiming to be with some organisation or the other, civil organisation members have alleged that a few people with sticks are seen standing with the police and are constantly questioning and in some cases harassing the people.

Karan Seth has been working with an independent organisation to distribute ration and food to the poor people in various areas of Delhi but he was stopped from doing so.

"I was stopped at a barricade by some people near Govindpuri when I was on my way to distribute ration. It was not the police but some people in civilian clothes who had stopped me. The police was there as well. They started questioning me about my whereabouts. I asked them why you are questioning me and that only police had the right to and not some civilians. But they did not pay any heed. The police didn't interfere as well. These men were holding sticks. When I told them I am going to distribute ration, they let me go. But I found the whole thing uncomfortable," he said.

Locals have taken it upon themselves to come out and ask anyone coming out to go back inside, without any authority given to them. At Batla House, meanwhile, residents have complained that some youth with lathis create havoc and randomly beat people up if they are seen outside.

"There are some locals who have taken it upon themselves to beat and shout at people are seen outside. It doesn't matter if you are going to buy ration, they just start beating you up, while the police doesn't do anything," said a resident in the area.

Many civil organisation members have complained that they were stopped or harass and their names were asked when they went to distribute food.