Two held for transporting migrants during lockdown, 5,182 arrested until now

The Phase 2 police arrested two men early Friday morning for allegedly transporting migrants to Bihar. The Gautam Budh Nagar police has so far arrested 5,182 people

The Phase 2 police arrested two men early Friday morning for allegedly transporting migrants to Bihar. The Gautam Budh Nagar police has so far arrested 5,182 people for the offence since the beginning of the lockdown.

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The suspects were identified as Wakil Khan and Rashid, residents of Ghaziabad and Meerut, respectively. According to the police, they were driving two buses with banners stating ‘By Bihar government, free service for migrants of Delhi, UP, Gautam Budh Nagar’.

“We found the buses around 1.30am at the Bhangel-Dadri-Surajpur Road with people on and around them. Upon questioning, we found that the suspects were charging ₹3,000 to take these people to Bihar. When we asked for permission documents, a third person showed us an e-pass issued by the Siwan district magistrate. We asked him for a physical copy, to which he said that it was on the bus and fled, leaving his phone behind. The drivers identified him as the owner of the buses,” Farmood Ali Pundir, station house officer, Phase 2 police station, said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called for a three-week nationwide lockdown from March 25, which was later extended till May 3 and then further until May 17. However, the Uttar Pradesh government had already announced the imposition of a three-day lockdown from March 23, which was subsequently merged with the nationwide lockdown. Ever since then, the district police has registered 1,430 cases for violations of the lockdown and booked 5,974 people and arrested more than 112 per day on an average, according to data obtained till 7pm on May 7.

The police department is carrying out daily checks at 200 barricaded posts in the district, including border areas, and has checked 92,548 vehicles during the lockdown period so far. Of these, they have fined the owners of 21,245 vehicles for various violations and seized 1,102 vehicles. The department has also collected almost ₹2.35 lakh in fines.

A police spokesperson said that the police have also registered five cases under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, in which they booked five people and arrested three.

During the lockdown, the police have permitted 3,521 essential service vehicles to move in and out of the district. However, the district borders continue to remain sealed for other vehicles.

Meanwhile, the commissionerate is also prepared to take stringent action against any person found misbehaving with corona warriors.

“Under the new law (UP public health and epidemic disease control ordinance 2020 which protects doctors, paramedical staff, sanitary workers, police personnel) an offender might be imprisoned for a period of six months up to seven years and fined between ₹50,000- ₹5 lakh depending on the severity of the action,” commissioner of police Alok Singh said.

Violating the quarantine, running away from hospitals, obscene or indecent conduct towards corona warriors, spitting or throwing garbage on them or not disclosing the disease or knowingly travelling by public transport while being infected are all punishable by law and can lead to heavy penalty and prison time, Singh said.