Coronavirus lockdown: In 24 hours, Mumbai police register 112 cases as people continue to violate sec 144

Two cases of people flouting home quarantine orders to roam outside their homes were also registered in Navi Mumbai. In Malad West, 57-year-old Sanjay Kharkar was booked on Monday for roaming freely around Liberty Garden in spite of being ordered to remain in home quarantine from March 16 to 30. In Thane, a man was booked by police for spreading rumours after lying to the police control room about an IT park being open in spite of orders for offices to remain shut.

Even as Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray announced restrictions on more than five people gathering in one place, the police filed 10 cases of overcrowding in public places. On Monday, the police found a large congregation of worshippers praying at a mosque on Temkar Street in Dongri. The police requested them to return home to prevent the spread of the virus and booked two trustees of the mosque for violating preventing orders.

Police also found 16 hotels operational and filed cases against 18 hawkers and 56 shops which stayed open to sell non-essential goods, said Mumbai Police spokesperson and Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations) Pranaya Ashok. All cases were filed under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code, which punishes disobedience of an order by a public servant with up to six months imprisonment and a fine extending Rs 1,000 if such an act endangers human life, health or safety.

Videos uploaded on social media platforms late on Monday also showed policemen beating those stepping out on the road with batons.

Mumbai police spokesperson DCP Pranay Ashok said, “Not all videos that have been uploaded are from Mumbai city. We will look into the cases that are from here. In some cases, mild action that does not injure anyone is needed at such times so that people stay indoors.”

A senior official said Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh had asked policemen to show restraint. However, he said, in several instances, police had encountered youth who continued to loiter even after being told to get off the streets. “Till the time they do not fear police action, they don’t get the message”.

Saying that beating people will only make them angrier, an IPS officer said, “People are frustrated being at home. At some stage, there will be fear of them turning on the police. Hence, we have given instructions to just register cases.”

A senior officer from eastern suburbs said the forces was stretched, and that policemen on the roads are risking their lives. He added that in many cases, after people are dispersed, they assemble once again. Policemen, too, have families worried about them contracting COVID-19, he said. “So while we are telling them to not be very aggressive, one has to see that these are extraordinary times we are living in,” he added.