GUWAHATI: The police in Assam’s Bongaigaon district on Saturday intercepted a container truck that entered the state from West Bengal and detained 51 people who were travelling in it.
Most detainees are believed to be migrant workers.
Every individual who enters Assam is subjected to mandatory medical screening vis-à-vis COVID-19 at the inter-state check post. However, these people managed to escape the glare of the cops and health officials deployed there by hiding in the vehicle.
The 51 people are from various districts of Assam and it was not immediately known which state they were travelling from. The truck bore an Uttar Pradesh registration number.
FOLLOW CORONAVIRUS LIVE UPDATES HERE
Bongaigaon District Magistrate Lakshmi Priya told this newspaper that the police had detained the people by intercepting the vehicle. It was intercepted at a place 80 km from the inter-state border.
"There are some check posts that were set up at various places by the police. The vehicle, carrying the people, was intercepted by the police and some locals," she said.
The DM said the persons were provided with food and "other things" as they were travelling for a while. She said they would be sent to a quarantine facility in Guwahati.