Ram Darbar residents booked for violating social distancing while welcoming cured Covid patient

Tribune News Service 

Chandigarh, May 14

The UT police, on Thursday, registered a case against unknown Ram Darbar residents after a video went viral on social media, in which residents of Ram Darbar are seen violating social distancing by welcoming a man who returned home after recovering from COVID-19.

Departmental action has also been recommended against the police officials who failed to disperse the crowd.

The police officials said that a video was received through social media, in which a COVID-19 infected patient, resident of Ram Darbar, Phase II, returned back after being recovered and was welcomed by the residents with garlands and complete disregards to social-distancing norms.

The police said the area where the patient lived was sealed to restrict the entry of the general public and police were already deployed there. The police also stated that the residents had already been briefed about the COVID-related directions issued by the UT administration.

The video revealed that the residents of the said area had violated the social-distancing directions and gathered to greet the man.

Police officials said the cops on duty in the area had failed to make any efforts to disperse the mob and did not intimate in the police station about the arrival of the said patient, which was a serious lapse, dereliction of duty and laxity on their part. 

“Department action has been recommended against the said police officials. Meanwhile, a case under Sections 188, 269, 270 and 34 of the IPC has been registered against the residents at Sector 31 police station. The investigation of the case is in the initial stages and the accused will be arrested accordingly,” a police official said.

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