Family fined for having 250 guests at wedding

A FAMILY living in the Bhilwara district in Jaipur were given a Rs6.26 lakh (R143 217) fine for organising a lavish wedding last month, attended by 250 guests and flouting all Covid19 norms and restrictions.

The number of guests was far higher than the permitted 50, and 15 of the guests, including the groom, had tested positive for the coronavirus last Saturday.

Officials said the groom’s grandfather died from Covid-19, and his aunt and uncle also tested positive. However, the bride and 17 others tested negative.

All those who tested positive had been admitted to hospital and more than 100 had been quarantined.

The state government served an order on the groom’s father, issued under the Epidemic Act, ordering him to foot the bill of the quarantine facility and treatment of the infected people by paying the fine. Monies paid towards the fine would go into a relief fund. Other expenses, to be incurred in coming days, should also be recovered from the groom’s family in terms of the order.

The order also said the groom, Rizul, and his father, Gheesu

Lal Rathi, did not follow social distancing norms, were not wearing masks and there were no sanitisers at the event.