Boinda: The district Collector of Angul ordered a probe into the alleged incident where two farmers were asked to do sit-ups for not wearing masks, a report said Sunday.
The farmers on the alleged order of Kishorenagar tehsildar were ordered to do the exercise for not wearing masks as per Covid -19 norms.
Reports said that the district Collector Siddharth Shankar Sahu directed the Athamallik sub-collector to conduct a probe and submit a report to him in this regard.
According to reports, two farmers hailing from Kishorenagar area in Angul district were allegedly made to do sit-ups by a tehsildar for not wearing masks during Covid-19 norms enforcement drive, Saturday.
The matter came to fore after video of the incident went viral on social media, Sunday. Reports said that the tehsildar Laxmi Prasad Sahu and local police officials were carrying out an enforcement drive on Covid-19 in Kishorenagar area.
The tehsildar noticed the two farmers Maguni Sahu and Susant Rana returning home riding a moped without wearing masks. The two farmers are natives of Panduripathara village under Kishorenagar police limits.
Sahu and the police officials intercepted them near the College Chhak under Kishorenagar police limits.
The tehsildar allegedly asked the two farmers to get down and pay fine of Rs 500. The two however, expressed their inability to pay the fine and requested the tehsildar to allow them to go, the official directed the two farmers to do sit-up ten times. The two farmers however, alleged that they were wearing masks but the tehsildar detained them and asked them to pay fine.
Left with no option, Maguni did sit-ups for eight times while Sushant completed ten sit-ups as directed by the tehsildar.
Maguni alleged that the tehsildar and police officials intercepted them and asked the two to pay the fine. Though his mask was properly placed, Sushant’s mask was below the mouth.
“The officials asked us to pay Rs 500 as fine and even used foul language. We were allowed to go only after we prostrated before the tehsildar,” Maguni said.
Rejecting the charges, the tehsildar said the two persons were under the influence of alcohol and no one asked them to do sit-ups.
He further said that they stopped a moped while enforcing the mask wearing at College Chhak Saturday. Sahu and the police officials asked the two persons riding the moped to pay the fine as they were not wearing masks and also in an inebriated condition.
They however, did sit-ups instead of paying the fine. The tehsildar said that they made them only aware on the need to wear masks but never asked them to do sit-ups. The local IIC was also present at the spot, the tehsildar added.
When contacted, Athamallik sub-collector said that the truth can be ascertained only after conducting a probe.
PNN