Police invoke Sec 144; say tour operators can’t take bookings

The Mumbai Police on Sunday, as a precautionary measure to stop the spread of COVID-19 , invoked section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) and issued an

The Mumbai Police on Sunday, as a precautionary measure to stop the spread of COVID-19 , invoked section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) and issued an order restricting private tour operators from organising any tours to any domestic or foreign destinations. The police have also advised Mumbaiites against public gatherings.

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Section 144 of CrPC empowers police to take our certain orders. However, the order is limited to tour operators. It is not applicable to the general public, as in case of curfews or violence. The police and government are discouraging public gatherings as a preventive measure, but there is no order for any action against it. The order against tour operators will be in place till March 31 and anyone violating the order will be booked and arrested under section 188 of the IPC for causing danger to human life, health or safety, etc.

Pranaya Ashok, deputy commissioner of police, operations, and spokesperson of Mumbai Police, said: “The note is a very specific order to prevent danger to human life. It should not be confused with the regular order under CrPC section 144 .”

Ramesh Krishnan, CEO and founder of Nirvana India Enterprise that organises pilgrimage tourism across India, said, “We will adhere to the government policy. We are hardly getting any customers. Customers are asking us if temples are open or not. It has affected our business badly. In the last one-and-a-half month, about 70% of our business has been affected.”

Sahil Kamble, 22, who runs Magical Mumbai Tours which organises tours in Mumbai, said, “We are aware of the police order. We are not accepting any new bookings except some foreigners who are already in Mumbai as part of their package. We are aware of the police order. After two or three days, we will not be getting any customers. We got 189 cancellations in ten days or so.”

An order released by Ashok said, “As a precautionary measure to prevent further spread of COVID-19, Mumbai Police has issued an order prohibiting the conduct of any kind of tour involving a group of people travelling together to a foreign or domestic destination organised by private tour operators... However, should anyone, including private tour operators, need to travel under exceptional circumstances, they may do so after seeking permission from the office of the commissioner of police, Greater Mumbai.”

When asked if police are giving permissions for congregations and prayer meets, Ashok replied, “We are mostly discouraging such large gatherings in public.”

The Mumbai Police force has been asked to take all preventive measures to avoid the spread of the virus. They have been asked to wear masks, avoid handshakes and to use hand sanitizers at the police stations. The force has also been asked to spread awareness with the general public as part of their jobs. “Public address system is being used by most police stations to create awareness about various orders issued by the government. Apart from this awareness is being created through our Twitter handle, website, press releases and through local police stations,” said Ashok.

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