With the Punjab Government issuing fresh guidelines imposing stricter curbs amid surge in COVID-19 cases, the Punjab Police is leaving no stone unturned to enforce the various newly announced restrictions to protect and save the people of Punjab from this deadly virus. Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Dinkar Gupta, while sharing details, said that the joint teams of Punjab Police have issued at least 6531 challans to face mask violators and arrested as many as 629 persons for violating the COVID-19 norms across the state in last three days.The Home department on Sunday, ordered that all the non-essential shops must remain closed in the state, while, all Four-Wheeler Passenger vehicles should not seat more than 2 passengers and no Pillion riders are allowed on scooters and motorcycles except those belonging to the same family and living in the same house. Likewise, no gathering of more than 10 persons is allowed, including for weddings/cremations/funerals.The DGP, while disclosing data from May 2 to May 4, 2021, said that the Punjab Police have registered around 560 First Information Reports (FIRs) against those found flouting the guidelines, including owners of prominent Hotels, Marriage Palaces, Restaurants, Shops etc.The DGP said that, besides issuing fines, the Police have taken over 66000 Face Mask violators to undergo RT-PCR testing under the drive to enforce COVID-19 appropriate behaviour during the same span.
Since the special drive was started from March 19, 2021, the Punjab Police have persuaded over 6.9 lakh people to undergo COVID-19 testing besides penalising over I lakh people across the state for not wearing face masks, he added.Divulging details regarding the action against prominent establishments, Spokesperson of Police Department said that the Tarn Taran Police have booked owners of restaurant Arabian Kebab and Master Burger for defying night curfew timings besides registering case against owner of petrol pump owner as most of employees found without mask and also they were not adhering to the social distancing. Similarly, Barnala Police have lodged an FIR against the owner of Royal Green Resorts for violating COVID-19 norms, while the Hoshiarpur Police have booked three persons found drinking at the office of a Property Dealer during the night curfew hours. Recently, the Jalandhar Commissionerate Police had also booked owners of Ramada Hotel and Gulshan Palace for organising a Party having more than 20 guests while owners of Taj Restaurant and Yummy Fast Food were booked for flouting night curfew timings.The DGP once again exhorted the public to comply with the laid down restrictions, which are similar to those laid down in over 15 other States of the country. Otherwise, strict legal action including arrests and impounding of vehicles would be taken against the violators, he said.Meanwhile, all shops selling essential items including Chemist shops and shops dealing with supply of essential goods, milk, bread, vegetables, fruits, dairy and poultry products like eggs, meat, mobile repair, kirana and grocery shops, shops selling fertilisers, seeds insecticides, pesticides, agriculture equipments, and Liquor vends etc. are allowed to open, subject to adherence of Covid protocols.