A 32-year-old man in West Bengal’s Howrah district died on Wednesday after he was allegedly beaten up by the police for violating lockdown guidelines, reported ABP Ananda. The incident occurred in Sankrail town’s Banipur locality when the man, identified as Lal Swami, went out to buy milk in the evening, his wife claimed.

Swami’s wife alleged that her husband was among the crowd that the police baton-charged. He was taken to a local hospital where doctors pronounced his death.

The Howrah City Police deputy commissioner has refuted allegations that Lal Swami died of injuries because of the lathicharge.

Rapid Action Force and police officials were deployed after the episode, as the situation became tense in the neighbourhood the man lived in.


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As of Thursday afternoon, Union health ministry data showed nine people had Covid-19, the disease caused by coronavirus, in West Bengal, and one person has died of it. A 21-day nationwide lockdown began in India on Wednesday in an attempt to contain the spread of Covid-19 that has killed 13 people, and infected 649 so far. Of these, 593 are active cases, the Union health ministry said.