Medical students beaten during Covid testing fight

Three medical students were beaten up by two unidentified men during a fight over Covid-19 testing last week, according to a police complaint.

Prateek Das Pattanayak, 21, and two of his student friends had been to the primary health centre in Cox Town, East Bengaluru, on January 13 to give swab samples for Covid-19 testing. As they stood waiting, two men arrived at the PHC, and instead of standing behind the students, tried to get ahead.

Pattanayak and his friends warned them against jumping the queue, leading to a heated argument. The duo picked a fight with them, allegedly abusing, threatening and beating up Pattanayak and his friends. The students suffered injuries.

The fight was so nasty that Pattanayak and his friends filed a complaint at the jurisdictional Pulakeshinagar police station.

Police have opened a criminal case under various sections of the IPC and launched an investigation.

The three boys are students at BR Ambedkar Medical College, Shampura.