Indian police deal with lockdown rebels

NEW DELHI: One minute they’re dancing in the street in comical coronavirus helmets, the next they’re seen beating people for flouting a nationwide lockdown -- Indian police have played good cop, bad cop in a bid to halt the spread of coronavirus.

The streets of India’s cities have been largely deserted for more than a week of the government’s 21-day lockdown -- no mean feat in a country of 1.3 billion people famed for their flexible attitude towards authority.

Police admit it has been hard work to keep citizens in their homes, while one analyst said some degree of coercion was needed to enforce government orders. Two officers wearing red and green coronavirus helmets regularly dance around miscreant road users after pulling them over, while their colleagues blow horns and bang gongs to simulate a virus attack.