Additional Mumbai Police personnel, six drones deployed at containment zones

The top brass of Mumbai Police has ordered 45,000 police personnel in the city to ensure maximum police presence on streets, a senior IPS officer said.

The top brass of Mumbai Police has ordered 45,000 police personnel in the city to ensure maximum police presence on streets, a senior IPS officer said.

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The officer said the directives have been given as a large number of personnel have to be deployed at more than 200 containment zones – sealed areas where Covid-19 positive patients are found – to ensure that social distancing and other orders are followed, as well as to increase police presence in the other areas of the city.“We are using six drones and may use more if needed to monitor the crowds and containment zones. We are following the government guidelines while monitoring containment zones,” said Pranaya Ashok, DCP (operation), and spokesperson for Mumbai Police.

When asked if volunteers and paramilitary forces will be required as the number of containment zones have been increasing each day, deputy commissioner of police Ashok said, “We don’t need their deployment now, but may in future.”

Meanwhile, the police, intensifying its action against those violating the lockdown orders in the city, registered 82 offences on Thursday against offenders of which 66 first information reports (FIRs) were lodged against those who did not follow social distancing and gathered at on place in some of the densely-populated areas. The total number of FIRs filed for violating lockdown orders has risen to 791 since March 20.

“Half a dozen shop owners, pan stalls and other hawkers were also booked for running their businesses despite the lockdown orders under section 144 of Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC),” a police officer said. Section 144 authorises the executive magistrate of a state to issue an order to prohibit the assembly of four or more people in an area.

One FIR was registered against a person who violated home quarantine orders.

The police are also verifying if the 1,200 people who came from abroad and were traced and home quarantined are following the self-isolation norms.

“The police also appealed to citizens with the help of religious and community leaders to not step out of their homes to offer Friday’s prayers. Mosques across the city also made announcements over speakers, appealing to citizens to offer the prayers from home and follow the government orders,” said a DCP rank officer. However, some violations were witnessed despite the appeals. “In Dharavi, the police arrested 10 people for defying the order and offering prayers on streets,” an officer from Dharavi police station said.

Slums pose challenge

The police are facing problems in their operations owing to the lack of co-operation from slum dwellers.

The police said crowds gather near public toilets in the morning hours and similar scenes are also witnessed near ration shops and vegetable markets. In some areas, pan stalls and salons have also remained open. The police have been seeking the help of local community leaders, corporators and political activists in creating awareness at such areas. Along with filing cases against those flouting norms, the police have also been seizing the vehicles of those loitering around unnecessarily.

Attack on cops

Many dense population areas and slums also witnessed clash between police and public. Saveral videos also went viral where cops were attacked by the lockdown violators. In one incident a policeman was attacked in Dongri. Sandeep Bhagdikar, senior police inspector, Dongri police station said, “We booked a miscreant from Dongri for assaulting an on-duty a policeman who had stopped him on coming out of his home. The man did not give satisfactory answers and instead abused the police and assaulted him.”

Four people arrested from the Govandi and Shivaji Nagar areas have been held for attacking and abusing on-duty personnel.

66 FIRs in state

“A total of 66 FIRs have been registered across the state for spreading misinformation and rumours related to Covid-19. Many cyber fraudsters are also trying to cash in on the lockdown by circulating phishing traps. We have made a list of such frauds and issued an advisory on our Twitter handle. Yesterday [Thursday], the Malegaon police arrested four people for circulating a religiously provocative video related to coronavirus,” said Balsing Rajput, superintendent, Maharashtra Cyber department.