LUCKNOW: In a bid to prompt the residents to download Aarogya Setu app, Noida police issued an order which makes not having the app installed a punishable offence under relevant sections and deeming it as the violation of lockdown rules.
According to sources, the police administration could conduct random checks on people at public places to see if they have installed the app. However, the order did not clarify about those who would not be having a smartphone to download the app.
As per Noida police authorities, those who would be found without the app on their smartphones could be booked under Section 188 of the IPC (disobedience of order promulgated by public servant) leading to a jail term up to six months.
While the Noida police extended the restrictions under Section 144 of the CrPC till May 17, the same order, reportedly undersigned by additional DCP (law and order) Ashutosh Dwiwedi, also specified that if the smartphone users would not have the Aarogya Setu app, it would amount to lockdown violation and hence punishable.
The app is available in 12 languages and it requires a user to enter personal details, including recent travel history. It also asks if the user has been showing any symptoms of the virus, like fever, cough, cold and breathing problems, while filling in the details. The app then examines the answers and rates if the user poses a potential threat to others in his/her vicinity.
The app has, however, kicked up a political row as it uses the phone’s Bluetooth and GPS to let users and the local administration know if a coronavirus patient is in the vicinity. The sources also claimed that though it was not possible to check each and every person travelling on the road, police administration of Noida was planning to conduct random checks at the borders.