BHUBANESWAR: DGP Abhay on Monday said any act which endangers the safety of others during the coronavirus pandemic will be dealt with stringently as per the law. The DGP's warning came after a video of a group of persons violating social distancing at a quarantine centre in Bhadrak district went viral on the social media.
"Our hospitality towards the returnees does not mean leniency towards negligent conduct. My appeal to all the returnees to follow the laid down norms while in quarantine," said the DGP's official Twitter handle.
Tihidi police station in Bhadrak registered a case against six persons under Sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and Section 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to
life) of IPC along with Section 51 (obstructs officer in the discharge of his functions) of Disaster Management Act, said Bhadrak SP Rajesh Pandit.
Police said the six persons violated social distancing norms at a quarantine centre in Bhadrak's Bhatapada area by engaging in jollity and uploading over one video on a social networking platform, Tik Tok.
Tihidi block development officer and Bhatapada sarpanch lodged a separate complaint in this regard with the police on Sunday, following which legal proceedings were initiated against the violators.
All of them had returned from West Bengal and Maharashtra and were quarantined in the facility, sources said.
The violators' quarantine period was supposed to end soon but now the authorities are mulling to extend it by shifting them to different institutional quarantine facilities, they added.
The State Government on Sunday decided to be strict with the implementation of guidelines on the migrant returnees following reports of fleeing from the quarantine centres in Ganjam district.
Chief secretary Asit Tripathy warned that returnees who are creating a nuisance and fleeing from the temporary medical centres will be shifted to quarantine facilities away from their home district. "Violators will be arrested, quarantine period will be extended and no incentive will be paid to them," he said.