Coronavirus COVID-19 Madhya Pradesh: A video shows the mob holding sticks and surrounding the man.

Highlights Sanitation worker attacked in Dewas, Madhya Pradesh

Main accused arrested over mob attack, police said

Madhya Pradesh has fourth-highest number of coronavirus cases

A group of sanitation worker in Madhya Pradesh were attacked by a mob of locals in Dewas district on Friday when they went to a neighbourhood to clean the streets. One of them, who was attacked with an axe, has been admitted to hospital after his hand was badly injured. The shocking attack comes weeks after similar incidents in the state in which healthcare workers and civic officials were attacked locals when they went to screen residents for coronavirus.

Disturbing visuals show the mob holding sticks and surrounding the sanitation worker, pushing and pulling him. The man, with his shirt is ripped apart, is helpless as the mob with sticks drags him.

One man, Adil, who police say is the main accused, has been arrested, His brother is missing.

"Sanitation workers from the municipal corporation were working in Koyla Mohalla. Adil attacked Deepak and his colleagues with an axe. When he tried to hold the axe, he got injured. Doctors referred him to Dewas on his complaint. We have registered a case of attempt to murder and under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act," police officer Sajjan Singh said.

Earlier this month, healthcare workers and civic officials were attacked by a mob of angry locals in an Indore neighbourhood as they visited the area to screen residents for signs of novel coronavirus infection. Two women doctors were injured in the attack and had to be rescued by police. Before that, locals in another neighbhourhood in Indore allegedly spat at officials and abused them during screening procedures.

In Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal, a group of men threw stones at a police constable who was on lockdown enforcement duty. Five people were arrested and two of them were charged under the National Security Act (NSA).

With 1,310 cases, Madhya Pradesh has the fourth-highest number of coronavirus cases in India after Maharashtra, Delhi and Tamil Nadu. 69 people have died of the infection.