At least three nurses hailing from a Northeastern state neighbouring Assam have faced racial taunts linked to novel coronavirus on the streets of Guwahati while they were returning from a private hospital where they work.

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The abusers probably mistook the nurses with mongoloid features for nationals of China from where COVID-19 had spread worldwide. Although neither the victims nor the hospital has reported the matter, police has suo motu filed a case and began investigations. "A group of men shouted 'coronavirus' at three of our nurses two-three days ago. They have been subjected to physical abuse also," the private hospital's Founding Director Prakritish Bora told PTI.

The hospital authority is extending full support to the nurses, who are from a neighbouring state, and will cooperate with the authority in their probe to nab the culprits, he added. When contacted, a senior police official said, "We have recorded the statements of the nurses and hospital authorities. We are now tracing the culprits. Strict action will be taken against them."

Earlier on reports of harassment to doctors and nurses by their landlords, the Assam government had instructed police to register criminal cases against them.