If some officials abuse their power by turning healthy people's health codes red, they are crossing a dangerous redline.

Some people in Henan province are alleging that the authorities tampered with their health code to stop them from lodging a complaint against a possible Ponzi scheme. If this is true then this is one of the worst forms of abuse of power.

Several rural banks in Henan province are supposed to have lured depositors with much higher deposit interest rates than that provided by the big four State-owned banks. However, since mid-April, the depositors found they were unable to withdraw their money. Altogether, they had deposited more than 39.7 billion yuan (＄5.9 billion) in the banks.

Desperate depositors who lived and worked outside the province, rushed to Zhengzhou, capital of Henan province, to voice their frustration and demand justice. However, when they reached the provincial capital on Monday, they found that their health codes had turned red, implying they are infected with COVID-19 or suspected cases.

Such a code bars them from taking public transport or entering any public place. All this has led to growing suspicion that the local authorities allegedly took advantage of the health kit, an epidemic prevention and control tool, to arrest the petitioners' movements. The sole purpose of the health kit, which traces people's movements so as to be able to raise a flag when they come in contact with COVID-19 patients, is to safeguard public health. Any misuse of the provision should be punished according to law.

Most surprisingly, the headquarters for epidemic prevention and control in Zhengzhou, responsible for health code management, is yet to respond to the public outcry. Other departments that the public approached for help have also passed the buck.

This scandal not only discloses the arrogance of those invested with power, but has also brought to light the low level of governance in the some local government agencies’ lack of respect for the rule of law.

The depositors' grievances should be heard and addressed properly by the authorities concerned through proper investigation.

Apart from being grossly unjust, such categorizing of some as high-risk people through fraudulent means, could also put many others, who are defined as close contacts, into quarantine or lockdown, and deal a blow to many businesses. Such tricks will damage the public's trust in the local authorities' pandemic control efforts at a time when the country is seeing sporadic COVID-19 outbreaks.

Anyone seen to have abused power in the aforementioned case should be held accountable. No one should be allowed to cross the redline by randomly turning people's health codes red.

The author is a writer with China Daily.