Karnataka: 80-100 Gather in Kalaburagi For Last Rites at Graveyard, Police Registers Case for Defying COVID-19 Lockdown
After the matter was brought to the notice of police, a case was filed against five identified and other unidentified persons. The police is likely to invoke sections under the Epidemic Diseases Act against them for flouting the lockdown imposed to contain the transmission of coronavirus.
Bengaluru, April 18: In another case of defiance of social-distancing norms in Karnataka, a sizeable crowd gathered at a graveyard in Kalaburagi for the last rites ceremony of a deceased. The crowd comprised of nearly 80-100 persons, as per the reports. A case was registered at the Roza Police station, under whose jurisdiction the graveyard falls. Watch: Hundreds Defy Lockdown Orders in Kalaburagi to Attend Siddhalingeshwara Temple Chariot Festival.
The guidelines for lockdown, issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), allow only a group of 20 persons to assemble for funeral or last rites ceremony of a deceased person. The number of individuals who had gathered at the graveyard in Kalaburagi surpassed the permissible limit.
After the matter was brought to the notice of police, a case was filed against five identified and other unidentified persons. The police is likely to invoke sections under the Epidemic Diseases Act against them for flouting the lockdown imposed to contain the transmission of coronavirus.
"Today 80-100 people gathered for cremation at a graveyard in Kalaburagi city amid lockdown. Case has been registered at Roza Police Station against 5 named people and others," news agency reported the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Kalaburagi as saying.
Update by ANI
The gathering of crowd for cremation comes two days after hundreds assembled in Kalaburagi for the annual Siddhalingeshwara temple chariot festival. The congregation had assembled in the wee hours of Thursday, at 6:30 am, and took part in the procession for around 20 minutes. "A case has been registered against those people (20 named and others being identified) for violation of the lockdown rules. A sub-inspector has been suspended," Superintendent of Police Martin Marbaniang said.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 18, 2020 11:58 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).