The increasing levels of COVID-19 panic across the country on Monday led to an Andheri resident physically assaulting a resident of her building. Rakesh Coelho, 49, secretary of Tarapore Towers in Andheri West was allegedly assaulted by a resident on Monday morning for refusing to allow an outsider in the premises for the fear of infection.

The incident occurred on the society premises at around 10 am when Coelho was checking the security of the society. "I saw a woman waiting outside the entry gate, she told me she was a maid. I asked her to return home for her own safety but she said that her employer was coming to fetch her," he told mid-day, adding that the entry gate was locked with a chain at the time. "I then went towards the other gate of the building and saw that the maid had reached there, and the resident, Seema Singh, had come, asking for her to be let in. When I refused, Singh started abusing me. She scratched me, pulled off my goggles, and slapped me twice." Singh also "forcibly took" her to her house despite the society issuing a circular on March 22, stating that "all visitors including but not limited to house help/maids/dog walkers…will not be allowed to enter the society premises."