Kerala Police Book 600 Parents For Flouting COVID-19 Protocols During KEAM Entrance Exam; 6 People Test Positive

Thiruvananathapuram, July 22: The Kerala police on Wednesday booked 600 parents of students who appeared for Kerala Engineering Architecture Medical (KEAM) entrance exams. A case was registered against them for flouting coronavirus protocol after six people tested positive for COVID-19. Out of the total infected people, five were students. Three students were tested positive on July 21, while two more students were diagnosed with COVID-19 on Wednesday. The exam was held on July 16.

According to a report published in CNN News 18, people identified in the pictures, which were taken from outside an exam centre, were booked under section 269 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Congress MP Shashi Tharoor criticised the move by Kerala Police. He tweeted, "Shocked to learn that Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Police have registered a case against students for crowding at the entrance of StMary'sSchool, Pattom,on the day of #KEAM exam, alleging violation of #Covid19 protocols. They have demanded names& addresses. I'm outraged." COVID-19 Cases Continue to Rise Rapidly in South India; Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka And Andhra Pradesh Report Highest Single-Day Spike.

Tweet by Shashi Tharoor:

A total of 88521 students appeared for the exams in the State. Kerala chief minister on Tuesday said, “Out of 38 exam centres in Thiruvananthapuram there were lapses in keeping social distancing only in one centre.” The chief minister added that all students who wrote the exam with the student who was identified as positive had been identified and will be sent for observation.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 22, 2020 10:04 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).