Clamour in Himachal to cancel cases against Covid guideline violators
SHIMLA : Nearly a year since the nationwide lockdown to check the spread of Covid-19; there is growing demand to revoke the cases against people for violating pandemic guidelines. More than 2,500 people were booked under different sections of the IPC and the National Disaster Management Act for offences ranging from jumping quarantine to not wearing masks or adhering to social distancing.
Though the state government is undecided, it is learnt that the demand will come up in assembly budget session, beginning on Friday. “The government booked many people for violating Covid-19 guidelines. but it’s strange that no action was taken against a frontal organisation that held a yagya (community prayer) in Shimla to ward off the virus. The prayer meeting was attended by CM Jai Ram Thakur. In public interest, the government should withdraw such FIRs,” said Congress leader Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu.
Most curfew violation cases in Kangra
A total of 2,271 cases of curfew violation were registered in the 13 police districts of the state during the pandemic last year. Most of the cases were registered under Sections 188, 269 and 270 of the IPC and Section 51 of the Disaster Management Act. Police data shows that of the total curfew violation cases, the maximum of 355 were registered in Kangra district,
The least number of such cases (8) were registered in Lahaul-Spiti, where the figure was eight. State DGP Sanjay Kundu said: “The law will take its own course. The police had enforced government’s orders.”