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Extended night curfew: Ludhiana police remain on toes to empty streets by 9pm
Amid the rising cases, the state government had extended the night curfew by two hours with immediate effect on Thursday
The first day of the 9pm-to-5am curfew on Thursday night saw the Ludhiana police toiling hard to keep residents from venturing out.
Amid the rising cases, the state government had extended the night curfew by two hours with immediate effect on Thursday.
While police managed to get all the shops closed by 9pm, several residents, in complete disregard to the curfew, were spotted on the streets till even past 11pm.
Police vehicles had started making announcements in the evening, informing shopkeepers and restaurant owners about the curfew starting at 9pm.
Thereafter, patrolling parties took rounds of the city to ensure no shop or eatery was open. Some shopkeepers found operating beyond the permissible hours at Haibowal, Dandi Swami Road and Humbran Road were asked to down shutters and issued a warning.
Commuters moving about the roads claimed they were not aware about the curfew getting extended, while others said they were out for essentials or medicines.
As it was the first day of the extended night curfew, police let the violators go after a warning.
People commuting to the railway station or bus stand to pick/drop their relatives and three-wheelers ferrying passengers were also allowed to proceed.
Additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP, City 3) Sameer Verma said special checkpoints were installed at major points and crossroads of the city to warn people loitering aimlessly.
Police commissioner Rakesh Agrawal said the curfew was aimed at preventing crowding at social gatherings amid the second wave of the virus and those violating the curfew will face FIRs.
He said the police had also issued 1,500 challans to people found without face masks in the past two days.
