Eight Paliganj areas sealed, groom’s father booked

PATNA: At least eight areas in Paliganj block in rural Patna have been sealed after at least 95 people of Dihpali, who attended a wedding function on June 15, were tested positive for Covid-19. Paliganj additional sub-divisional officer (SDO) Rakesh Kumar said on Friday that altogether 364 people, who attended the wedding or came in contact with them, were tested.
“As the incident took place on June 15, several people have been discharged after being Covid-19 negative. Contact tracing is being continued in other areas in order to curb the spread of the virus,” he said.
An FIR has also been lodged against groom’s father Ambika Chaudhary by Paliganj BDO Chiranjeevi Pandey on Thursday on the instructions of Patna district magistrate Kumar Ravi.
DM Ravi said Chaudhary has been charged for violating the norms related to restriction on number of people attending a wedding ceremony, social distancing norms and not wearing masks during the wedding ceremony of his son. Incidentally, only 50 persons, all wearing masks, are allowed in a wedding ceremony as per relaxations allowed by the government under Unlock activities.
“Chaudhary is under treatment in Masaurhi as he has been tested positive for the virus. Action would be taken against him for violating social distancing and other precautionary measures as soon as he gets discharged,” Rakesh told this newspaper.
Chaudhary’s 30-year-old son, a software engineer who worked at Gurugram, died two days after the marriage on June 17 and cremated without Covid-19 test. He was suffering from cough and cold, loose motions and weakness after returning from Gurugram by a hired car on May 12. He died on way to being taken to AIIMS-Patna after his condition turned critical.
The wedding was held at Aadampur Piplawan village in Naubatpur and the accompanying rituals during which the infection is said to have spread were performed at Dihpali. Both the bride and groom’s father are teachers and the bride is a civil engineer.