Puducherry Cong MLA Booked for Second Time for Violating Lockdown

The MLA was distributing relief materials in his village, drawing a crowd of over 150 people.

Image used for representational purposes only.

(Photo: PTI)

A ruling Congress MLA, a close confidante of Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy, has been booked for the second time for allegedly violating the COVID-19 lockdown orders and distributing relief materials in his village, drawing a crowd of over 150 people, police said on Tuesday, 14 April.

A case was registered against A John Kumar on a complaint from the Revenue Department officials that the MLA, along with others, was distributing rice bags to over 150 people near his house in neighbouring Nellithope village on Monday, in violation of the rules, they said.

He was booked under Indian Penal Code sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease) and provisions of the Disaster Management Act and the Epidemics Act, police said adding that further investigation was on.

This is the second time that John Kumar had been booked on charges of the same offence.

Last month, police had registered a case against the legislator and others for allegedly violating the lockdown and distributing vegetables to around 200 people outside his house.

Meanwhile, the Excise Department has suspended licences of 22 liquor and arrack shops for illegally selling the brew during the ongoing lockdown, police said.

The day also saw the Chief Minister, Welfare Minister M Kandasamy and Congress MP V Vaithilingam paying tributes to a statue of B R Ambedkar on his birth anniversary while observing social distancing.

There were also restrictions on the number of people paying homage to Ambedkar in view of the ongoing lockdown to contain the spread of the COVID-19, an official source said.