Mumbai Police seized 2,438 vehicles for violating lockdown norms

Additional commissioner of police (traffic) Pravin Padwal clarified that there has been no relaxation of lockdown rules in Mumbai.

Thousands of motorists on Tuesday took out their vehicles resulting in traffic on the highways. Mumbai Police impounded 2,438 vehicles of which 873 were private cars and 230 were taxis and 1,335 were autorickshaws. Meanwhile, a total of 191 Mumbai Police personnel have reported for duty after recovering from Covid-19, including deputy commissioner of police (zone 3) Abhinash Kumar.

As of Tuesday morning, approximately 655 personnel from Mumbai Police and 1,328 personnel from state police have tested positive for Covid-19. (Bachchan Kumar/HT photo)

Additional commissioner of police (traffic) Pravin Padwal clarified that there has been no relaxation of lockdown rules in Mumbai. “No person is allowed to use vehicles unless it’s for transporting essential goods. If any citizen wants to buy essential goods then he should go walking and using vehicles for this purpose is not allowed. No rickshaws or taxis are allowed to ply. We will allow use of vehicles only for an emergency. We will impound all those vehicles found violating the lockdown rules,” he said.

Dilip Sawant, additional commissioner, north region (Goregaon to Dahisar) said more than 200 vehicles, mostly autorickshaws and motorcycles, were impounded at Samta Nagar junction on the western express highway (WEH) and at Vanrai.

Senior inspector of Dahisar police station Hanif Mujawar, whose team is posted near the check post, said 28 vehicles coming in from Vasai-Virar were impounded and first informations (FIRs) were filed against the violators.

Meanwhile, the three-member government committee headed by Amitabh Gupta, principal secretary (special), state home department, on Tuesday decided to provide 1,421 additional manpower from various government departments to Mumbai Police for helping the latter send migrant workers to their respective states.

The committee provided the additional manpower for assisting the local police stations and deputy commissioners of police (the nodal officers) in Mumbai city for compiling, collating, uploading and processing the data in the National Migrants Information System (NMIS) portal of the government of India. These government employees are below 40 years and include staff from Mantralaya and other field officials of various government departments, said a senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer.

“These government employees have better subject knowledge and would help police for compiling and uploading the list of migrants on the government website,” Gupta said.

The committee for migrants was formed on Monday. It has Vinoy Kumar Choubey, joint commissioner of police, Mumbai and Rahul Kulkarni, deputy secretary, general administration department, as other members.

With sanctioning of additional manpower the police hopes to send maximum migrants back to their hometowns in lesser time through a more well co-ordinated and smooth system.

The Mumbai Police said that till Monday they have sent back 1,61,261 stranded people, most of them being migrant labourers, to their home states, while around 3 lakh are still on the waiting list.

One more death recorded in Mumbai Police

As of Tuesday morning, approximately 655 personnel from Mumbai Police and 1,328 personnel from state police have tested positive for Covid-19. Among the 1,328 are the 324 who have since recovered.

The death toll from Covid-19 has risen to nine in Mumbai Police and to 12 among the state police. Constable Dilip Patil,46, from the Mumbai Police’s anti-terrorism squad (ATS) died on Sunday morning. He had tested positive for Covid-19. One death each was reported from Pune, Solapur and Nashik rural. One was an officer and the rest were constables or assistant police sub-inspectors (ASIs).

Lockdown violations on Monday

A total of 76 FIRs were lodged on Monday against 223 people and 113 were arrested for lockdown violations. Most of these were for gathering in a place (54) and for not wearing masks (17). The western suburbs (Bandra to Jogeshwari) saw the most FIRs (26) followed by south (18) and central (12) regions.

Mumbai Police complains to BMC about ambulance

Mumbai Police has requested the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to dedicate 12 ambulances to cops. In a letter to BMC commissioner, dated May 18, joint commissioner of police (administration) Naval Bajaj has said that Covid-positive policemen had to seven to eight hours for an ambulance to reach hospital and the ambulance helpline (1916) did not offer prompt response. The police department has requested BMC to keep 12 ambulances — one for each of Mumbai’s 12 zones — for police personnel and that priority should be given to policemen when they call for ambulances. Bajaj confirmed the development.

One more Covid case at Arthur road jail

A police constable from Arthur Road jail tested positive for Covid-19 on Monday following which three others were quarantined and tested. So far, 27 staffers and 158 inmates of the jail have tested positive. Fears of contracting the infection has led to several staff members not reporting for duty, resulting in reduced manpower. Prison authorities pointed out that courts have delayed the bail process for 1,270 inmates.

Booked for samosa party

Pant Nagar police on Monday registered a case against members of a housing society in Ghatkopar for allegedly organising a samosa party in their premises. According to the police, there are videos and photographs showing a gathering of 20 persons who are been served the snack. The chairman and another member of the housing society were arrested for violating lockdown rules . A politician of a national party also lives in the society but he was not a part of the event, said police sources.

Bus owner booked for transporting passengers illegally

A private luxury bus crashed into a divider at the Navghar flyover on the eastern express highway (EEH), in Mulund, on Monday night. Some passengers sustained minor injuries. The driver, the owner of the bus service and the ticketing agent who had sold passengers tickets for the bus were arrested as the bus was plying without requisite permissions. It had left Airoli on Monday and was carrying around 20 passengers to Ahmednagar. “They did not seek permission from Navi Mumbai police. Only essential services and those who have acquired an e-pass are allowed to travel,” said Paramjit Singh Dahiya, deputy commissioner of police (zone 7). A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

(With inputs from Pratik Salunke, Jayprakash S Naidu, Vijaykumar Yadav, Faisal Tandel and Manish K Pathak)