MUMBAI: Around 540 offences have been registered in Maharashtra for violating orders in place to stop the spread of novel coronavirus, officials said on Saturday.
The violations include not observing lockdown, hiding or falsifying travel history, fleeing home quarantine, spreading rumours about the infection and advertising products with the aim of profiting from the outbreak, they said.
The Epidemic Diseases Act is in place in the state and violators are being charged under this law as well as provisions of the Indian Penal Code and Disaster Management Act, they added.
Till Saturday afternoon, 188 offences were registered in Thane, 95 in Palghar, 74 in Ahmednagar, 44 in Solapur and 13 in Nagpur, an official said.
A man who was seen loitering on the streets of Dharavi in Mumbai on Friday despite being in-home quarantine is among the people who have been booked, he added.
Meanwhile, Thane Municipal Commissioner Vijay Singhal on Saturday banned the assembly of more than ten persons in the city in view of the coronavirus outbreak.
Action will be taken if more than ten people are found to have gathered on roads or in other public places, he said.
Speaking to reporters here, Singhal also said that no standing passengers would be allowed on civic-run TMT buses, and only one passenger would be allowed per seat.
The administration will run buses at 40 per cent of the capacity.
Deputy Municipal Commissioners and Assistant Municipal Commissioners have been given powers to take action against those violating regulations issued under the Disaster Management Act, COVID-19 Act and the Epidemic Act, he said.
Only five visitors at a time will be allowed at the Thane Municipal Corporation headquarters and ward offices, he said, appealing people to use the TMC's online facilities instead.