Religious extremists slash cop’s hand with sword for enforcing lockdown in India

Monitoring Desk

NEW DELHI: Religious extremists in India, in a shocking move, chopped off a police officer’s hand and injured six personnel after the cop reprimanded them for violating a lockdown implemented to stem the spread of coronavirus.

According to a BBC report, the assault took place on Monday in India’s Patiala district when police penalised the group for violating the lockdown restrictions.

Following the attack on police, the men escaped to a nearby village and took shelter in a complex, refusing to surrender and instead, opening fire at the authorities. They came out after police eventually called for reinforcement, the publication added.

Doctors, the report added, had reattached the severed hand of the injured personnel who was now on the road to recovery. “The surgery was very complex and challenging but sub-inspector Harjeet Singh was likely to make full recovery,” they said.

Three separate cases — of attempted murder, grievous bodily harm, and attack on a public servant — were registered against the accused.

All Indian states are in complete lockdown for an indefinite period of time after Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended the lockdown on April 15 after the nation-wide tally surged past 9,000 with 331 deaths from the virus.