As the PM advises all the states to ensure that self-isolation is followed sincerely during the novel coronavirus outbreak, police in states such as Gujarat, Odisha and Himachal Pradesh booked those who were found not following home-quarantine rules. FIRs have been filed against at least 10 people in Gujarat and four in Odisha.
As of Monday, 23 March, India has recorded at least 415 positive cases of coronavirus. Central and state governments are ramping up measures to ensure positive cases don't shoot up in the coming weeks.
Ten FIRs Filed in Gujarat
In Gujarat, at least 93 people have been found skipping out on home quarantine or self-isolation in the past 10 days, as per a report in Indian Express.
The Gujarat government has kept 433 people in government quarantine so far and 6,092 people have been asked to remain in home quarantine.
As per the report, in Ahmedabad, police booked two people on Sunday when the country observed 'janata curfew'. An FIR against the duo was filed in Maninagar police station on the behalf of Health Department officials. The duo had recently returned from Muscat and were asked to observe home quarantine for 14 days.
A senior police officer said,
“When health department officials conducted a surprise check, the two were found attending a birthday party. We have booked them under IPC sections 188 and 270 for disobedience and malignant act likely to spread infection of a disease, along with section of the Epidemic Disease Act.”
In total, Gujarat police has filed around 10 such FIRs.
Four Booked in Odisha
Criminal cases have been registered against four persons in Odisha, including a Bhubaneswar-based couple, for violating quarantine guidelines laid down by the government in view of the coronavirus outbreak, police said, as per a PTI report.
In the second incident, a 30-year-old man who recently returned from Uzbekistan was booked by the Danupali Police in Sambalpur on Sunday for violating COVID-19 quarantine guidelines, said Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), Sambalpur, Tapan Mohanty.
On getting information that the man registered for home quarantine was not doing so, the police carried out the necessary verification and found that he was violating COVID-19 quarantine guidelines, he said.
The man was booked under section 188 (disobedience of government order) and section 271 (disobedience of quarantine rule) of the IPC, police said.
In another case, a resident of Puri Ghat area of Cuttack who had recently returned from abroad had been advised to observe home quarantine, but was found to be flouting the order, a police officer said.
An FIR was registered against him for violating home-quarantine norms and the person was sent to an institutional quarantine facility, he said.
Three Booked in Himachal Pradesh
As per a report in The Tribune, one couple and one woman have been booked for breaking home-quarantine procedures.
A Solan-based couple has recently returned to India from Indonesia and was asked to remain in home quarantine for 28 days.
The police has registered a case under Sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and 271 (disobedience to quarantine rule) of the Indian Penal Code.
Meanwhile, a Kangra-based woman had tested positive for the disease on Friday. She has also been booked under Section 270 of the Indian Penal Code (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) for not cooperating with the officials, as per the report.
(With inputs from Indian Express & The Tribune)
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