Punjab: 130 booked for violating Covid guidelines in a day

A maximum of 45 FIRs have been registered in Patiala; 189 owners of marriage palaces, malls, hotels, restaurants etc have been booked since April 18

Punjab Police have registered 130 first information reports (FIRs) against violators of Covid-19 norms in the state in the last 24 hours, said director general of police Dinkar Gupta. A maximum of 45 FIRs have been registered in Patiala.

Police on Wednesday raided the elite Civil Lines Club in Bathinda where a pre-wedding function was being organised in violation of the Covid guidelines. Though no penalty was imposed for the violation, six members of the bride and groom’s families and two club officials were arrested, the police said. (Sanjeev Kumar/HT)

The state government had on Monday clamped stricter curbs, including extension of night curfew timings by one hour (8pm to 5am), closure of all bars, cinema halls, gyms, spas, coaching centres, sports complexes, with restaurants and hotels to be opened only for takeaway and home delivery from Monday to Saturday, besides banning the gatherings of more 20 persons for weddings/funerals

Gupta said police have booked 189 owners of marriage palaces, malls, hotels, restaurants etc for flouting night curfew timings and gathering limits since April 18.

A spokesperson of the police department said in Bathinda, a case under the Indian Penal Code and the Disaster Management Act has been registered against the manager of Civil Lines Club, Bathinda, the caterer and the hosts for organising a pre-wedding party having more than 20 guests. In Tarn Taran, police have booked owners of Hotel Sunstar for Covid-19 norms violations. Recently, the Mohali police arrested nine people, including owner of Grand Suites Hotel in Dhakoli, for organising a rooftop party in the night with huge gathering and had also booked the owner of AKM Marriage Palace for holding a function with more than 20 persons in violation of Covid guidelines.

The DGP said as part of the drive to book and arrest persons found violating safety protocols and Covid restrictions, Punjab Police have persuaded 20,241 people found without face mask to undergo RT-PCR testing. A total of 2,199 people, who were not wearing mask, were challaned in the last 24 hours, he said.

Since March 19, when the special drive was launched, Punjab Police have taken over 4.1 lakh people for Covid-19 testing, besides fining as many as 71,422 people across the state for not wearing face masks, he said.