A tiff over following social etiquette during the COVID-19 pandemic led to the arrest of an executive with the State Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) here on Tuesday.
The incident took place at Harita Tourism Hotel, a designated COVID-19 quarantine centre, on Saturday.
APTDC deputy manager C. Bhaskar allegedly thrashed Usha Rani, a differently-abled woman colleague who, on seeing him without a face mask, suggested that he followed the mandatory personal protective measure following a spurt in the coronavirus cases in the city.
At this, Mr. Bhaskar allegedly lost his cool and entered into a wordy duel with the woman before pulling her by her hair and beating her with a furniture handle. Fellow colleagues, who were taken aback, quickly came to her rescue and took him away from the spot.
The CCTV footage of the woman being manhandled went viral on the social media platforms.
Vasireddy visits victim
Meanwhile, State Women’s Commission Chairperson Vasireddy Padma visited the victim and consoled her, besides directing the police to file charge-sheet within one week and ensure stringent punishment to the accused under the relevant sections of the IPC and Disha Act.
On a complaint filed by Ms. Usha Rani, who works as a senior assistant in the APTDC divisional office, the Dargamitta police booked a case against Mr. Bhaskar under IPC Sections 354, 355, and 324.
Judicial remand
The arrest was made based on the CCTV footage, DSP J. Srinivasulu Reddy told the media. The accused was remanded to 14 days judicial custody by a magistrate court later in the day.
On the directive of Tourism Minister Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao, APTDC Managing Director Pravin Kumar placed the accused under suspension.
Taking a senior note of the incident, the police tweeted, “We are extremely sensitive to any violation, or crime against women, whose safety is our top priority.”
The hotel has been sanitised for accommodating the primary and secondary contacts of the infected persons for observation. It has been made mandatory for the staff and visitors to take personal protective measures and ensure social distance to avoid contracting the virus.
