20 December,2011 08:51 AM IST | | Shashank Shekhar
The Delhi police have registered an FIR against an unknown group for threatening to inject HIV infested syringes to Anna Hazare and his supporters. Besides, the cops have started the manhunt to nab those behind the act.
An anonymous letter threatened that if Team Anna continues its demand of a strong Lokpal, then Anna Hazare, his aides and supporters, will be attacked with needles infested with the deadly HIV virus.
Death syringe: The letter said a team has prepared 500 HIV positive
needles, which will be injected to least 1,000 people at the demonstration.
Representation pic
The letter that was sent to the DCP Central office, New Delhi on December 9 also stated "a needle team, which has prepared 500 HIV positive needles, would inject the virus in at least 1,000 people at the demonstration."
Delhi Police has registered an FIR under Sections 505 (2) (statements conducting to public mischief), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 507 (criminal intimidation by anonymous communication) of IPC at the Daryaganj police station. "We are trying to ascertain the identity of the sender. Although it may be a prank, we can't take any chances," said a police officer.
Manish Sisodia, a key Team Anna member, said, "It's just to scare people from attending the demonstrations. Pranksters think people will get petrified and will avoid attending the protest rallies."
Meanwhile, AIDS Society of India (ASI), a professional body of doctors involved in HIV care, clarified that it is difficult to contract HIV through needles contaminated, as the virus does not survive outside human body for long.
"HIV contaminated blood that are used for pricks, like the ones described, doesn't pose any real risk of transmission," an ASI statement said.
