COPS GO EASY ON VIOLATORS, OFFER ROSES TO SPREAD AWARENESS ON LOCKDOWN RULES

NEW DELHI: Instead of prosecuting people for violating the lockdown and issuing challans, the Delhi Police switched to a non-coercive method by offering roses to the violators and sensitizing them about the need to stay indoors on Sunday.

While roses were given to all violators across Delhi, in some parts of the city, the police made the violators pledge that they would not violate the lockdown rules and be more involved in creating awareness. At other places, they urged a group of violators to educate another group about the need to stay safe and follow necessary precautions.

At some places, the violators were asked to hold placards bearing messages related to the lockdown. Even policemen were spotted with placards in some places.

“For a change, a non-coercive mode has been adopted today (Sunday). The emphasis is on educating violators and utilising them too in furthering awareness among the residents. Policemen are encouraged to adopt effective alternative means instead of issuing challans,” Delhi Police commissioner SN Shrivastava said in a tweet.

According to Chinmoy Biswal, Delhi Police spokesperson, challans were not issued only for this Sunday. “Since the lockdown is a prolonged one, we decided to focus a day on sensitizing the lockdown violators,” said Biswal.

The police denied that the day-long drive was in response to the criticism faced by a Chhatisgarh IAS officer, who was purportedly caught in camera slapping a boy who was allegedly violating the lockdown.

However, a police officer said that the change in police’s attitude was also because of the feedback that the police were “harsh” on lockdown violators.

AT SOME PLACES, THE VIOLATORS WERE ASKED TO HOLD PLACARDS BEARING MESSAGES RELATED TO THE LOCKDOWN