30K cops guard city; 6.7K FIRS registered across state
MUMBAI: A robust force of more than 30,000 Mumbai Police personnel have been manning the city during the lockdown owing to the coronavirus outbreak to ensure citizens do not step out of their homes except during an emergency as well as to facilitate the smooth supply of essential commodities to Mumbaiites.
Mumbai Police have registered 266 first information reports (FIRS) and arrested 467 people for flouting lockdown orders till Saturday night, even as 6,784 FIRS have been filed across the state until Sunday.
Milind Bharambe, special inspector general (law and order), Maharashtra, said, “We have registered a total of 6,784 FIRS across Maharashtra till Sunday under section 188 [disobedience to order duly promulgated by a public servant] of the IPC for violating the probationary order, and most of them are against people for gathering in one place.” Bharambe said no on-duty personnel across the state has shown any symptoms of coronavirus.
The police has set up nakabandi points in several areas to restrict vehicle movement. The police has been checking vehicles to ensure motorists have documents or papers to prove that they have stepped out for emergency services and are not flouting any norm. Vehicles transporting essential goods have been asked to put up stickers.
To ensure that maximum people stay at home and those on streets maintain social distancing norms, Mumbai Police is making announcements repeatedly using megaphone on roads and around housing societies.
Pranaya Ashok, deputy commissioner of police (DCP) (operations) and Mumbai Police spokesperson, said, “Our priority now is to ensure that people don’t come out on the streets unnecessarily and to facilitate the smooth supply of essential goods. There are around 20,000 homeless people and labourers in Mumbai and to provide food and shelter to them, we’ve teamed up with NGOS [nongovernmental organisations] and BMC [Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation].”
Meanwhile, Mumbai Police’s Twitter handle is buzzing with complaints from residents stating that people have been gathering in their neighbourhood, permissions to avail essential services and suggestions to help the needy.
“Those who want to distribute food to the needy can team up with NGOS or get in touch with police or BMC who will guide them further on it. In emergency cases, citizens can carry documents or to get in touch with the local police,” said Ashok.
Meanwhile in Mumbra, Thane Police commissioner has deployed three platoons of the State Reserved Police Force (SRPF) in addition to the 233 police personnel already stationed here.
M Kad, senior inspector of Mumbra police station, said, “Most people here continue to throng the markets . We have deployed around 160 police officers and around 73 home guards. However, it was difficult to man the crowd. Thus the commissioner has deployed three additional platoons of SRPF.”