Prohibitory orders issued in Mumbai under Section 144

Mumbai police on Wednesday issued fresh prohibitory orders under section 144 of the CrPC, banning assembly of five or more people at one place in the city, to contain the spread of Covid-19, an official said.

The order will come into effect from 8 pm on Wednesday and remain valid till 7 am on May 1, he said. This is part of the Maharashtra government’s curfew- like restrictions on public movement over the next 15 days across the state. Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, while announcing these restrictions on Tuesday, had said section 144 of CrPC will be in force across the state during the period.

As per the order issued by the Mumbai police, all establishments, public places, activities, services, shall remain closed and nobody will visit public places without a valid reason.

Divisional ACPs, zonal DCPs and regional additional commissioners of police are empowered to grant exemption or permission in case of emergency and a special case, the order said.

Any person violating the order is liable to be punished under section 188 of the IPC in addition to penal provisions under Epidemic Diseases Act and the National Disaster Management Act, it said.

Meanwhile, the West Bengal government on Wednesday issued a directive to air passengers coming to the state from Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and Telegana to carry reports of their RT-PCR negative status conducted 72 hours before boarding the flights, a senior official said. The directive was given in view of the Covid surge in the country, mostly in the four states, he added. “The test has to be carried out 72 hours prior to the passenger’s departure for Bengal. There is no provision of getting the test done on arrival. The rule also applies for flights departing from the four states mentioned and are bound for Bagdogra and Andal ,” he added.

AS PER THE ORDER, ALL PUBLIC

PLACES, SERVICES, SHALL REMAIN CLOSED AND NOBODY WILL VISIT PUBLIC PLACES WITHOUT A VALID REASON