Gorakhpur man defies lockdown to host son’s b’day party, booked
GORAKHPUR : The Gorakhpur police on Thursday registered a case against a local man who defied Covid-19 lockdown norms and put dozens of lives at risk by hosting a birthday party for his 10-year-old son at his apartment in Betiahata locality of Gorakhpur on Wednesday night, a police officer said.
An unnamed FIR against 50 others who joined the event was also lodged after a video of the birthday party was widely circulated on the social media, the police said.
Circle officer (CO), Cantonment, Sumit Shukla said, “The video of the birthday party was examined and found true during investigation, following which an FIR was registered against the accused who had invited residents of his apartment (building) to attend the party, defying the lockdown.”
Varun Aggarwal, a trader who resides in Sarrafa Residency apartment, was booked under the Epidemic Disease Act, Disaster Management Act, Indian Penal Code sections 188 (disobedience of order duly promulgated by public servant) and 269 (negligence leading to spread of infectious diseases ), the police said.
The police also filed an unnamed FIR against 50 others, who joined the event. The police also seized some chairs used in the event held in the posh Betiahata locality.
Aggarwal said, “We realised that we committed a mistake and we are deeply regretful about it. Our intention was not to breach the lockdown. The party was planned suddenly on the idea of some apartment (building) residents who wanted a get-together for some time to overcome the boredom caused by staying indoors during the lockdown.
But, unfortunately, the invitees did not adhere to social distancing.” “Here, I want to make it clear that all those who joined the party were apartment (building) residents with no one displaying symptoms and no outsider attended it. The residents of the apartment are already so alert that they keep information on the health of everyone living in the apartment (building). They do not allow entry to outsiders and have even placed a bottle of sanitiser at the gate so that everyone entering or exiting has to wash his hands. No formal invitation was given for the party,” he said.
However, some others alleged that Aggarwal went ahead with his plan to host the party despite stiff resistance by some residents, who made a video of the event from their balcony and circulated it on the social media.
The aerial view of the video shows around 50 invitees breaching social distancing norms, mingling together and eating food served to them from stalls set up outside the apartment building located in a posh area of the city .“Despite opposition from residents of the apartment, he went out to arrange a cook for the party and requested all to attend the event. But most of the alert residents stayed away. Of the 500 people in the apartment (building), just 50- 60 joined the event. Jewellers, big traders and other well-off families live in the multistoreyed apartment building,” said a resident who did not wish to be named.