Noida extends Section 144 till May 3, Aqua Line Metro services to stay shut

All kinds of political, social, cultural, religious, and other gatherings are banned as long as prohibitory orders under Section 144 are in place, the police said.

The police on Tuesday extended the enforcement of Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) in the district till May 3, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended the nationwide lockdown till the same day.

Noida Metro Rail Corporation (NMRC), which runs the Aqua Line from Noida to Greater Noida, said services would continue to be suspended till May 3(Photo by Sunil Ghosh / Hindustan Times)

The section restricts the assembly of four or more people at one place at any given point.

Ashutosh Dwivedi, additional deputy commissioner of police (law and order), Gautam Budh Nagar, said, “Noida police had earlier enforced this restriction till April 14. Since the government has extended the nationwide lockdown till May 3, Noida police has also extended the enforcement accordingly,” he said.

All kinds of political, social, cultural, religious, and other gatherings are banned as long as prohibitory orders under Section 144 are in place, the police said.

On the directions of state government, the police and district administration are taking strict action violators, who are being booked under Section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code.

Police teams are also conducting patrols to check liquor smuggling in the district.

Sankalp Sharma, deputy commissioner of police, Noida, said the police on Tuesday arrested two liquor smugglers in Sector 98. The two were identified as Kallu and Rahul Vajpai, residents of Salarpur village. The police team recovered ₹52,000 cash, two country-made pistols, two cartridges, and a carton of country-made liquor from them.

Noida Metro services shut till May 3

Meanwhile, Noida Metro Rail Corporation (NMRC), which runs the Aqua Line from Noida to Greater Noida, said services would continue to be suspended till May 3, in concurrence with the lockdown extension.

Ritu Maheshwari, managing director, NMRC, said the city bus service would also remain suspended till May 3. “However, regular cleanings, and minimum maintenance to ensure the Metro system remains functional, as well as upkeep of trains, stations and other systems associated with the smooth functioning of the Metro will be performed on a regular basis,” she said.

NMRC officials said the body has engaged feeder buses in the distribution of food items to the needy from the community kitchens run by Noida authority in the lockdown, a service set to continue till the lockdown is scheduled to end.