Parents of bride, groom booked in Mumbai for violating Covid-19 norms

Parents of a newly-wed couple have been booked by Mumbai Police after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) lodged a complaint against them after social distancing norms were violated by more than 350 people during their children's wedding ceremony, according to news agency ANI on Monday.

The first information report (FIR) was also registered against Chhedanagar Gymkhana for violating the safety protocol of the wedding ceremonies during the Covid-19 pandemic. The complaint was registered in Mumbai's Tilak Nagar police station under sections 188, 269 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), ANI reported. As per the complaint, the social distancing norms flouted on Sunday during the ceremony at Chhedanagar Gymkhana.

This comes after the Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday urged people to adhere to the norms strictly or the government will be forced to impose restrictions. The government will decide in eight to 15 days if new restrictions need to be imposed, he added while addressing the people. "Should we impose another lockdown, I am asking you,” he said.

Authorities will impose a lockdown in the Amravati district, which has been witnessing a spike in the number of Covid-19 cases, as high as during the peak of the pandemic, from Monday. Mumbai also has been recording a high daily number of coronavirus disease cases for the past few weeks. On Sunday, the metropolitan capital reported 921 new Covid-19 cases and six deaths, taking the tally of active cases in the city to 319,000.

BMC has been urging the citizens to strictly adhere to the Covid-19 safety norms to contain the spread of the deadly virus as the chief minister comprehends that the state may be hit by the second wave of the coronavirus disease. The civic body had fined 16,154 people on Saturday for not wearing masks at public places in the city. BMC reported a collection of more than ₹32 lakh during the single-day drive. Gyms, theatres, clubs and restaurants reported the most number of fines, ANI said.