Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Mar 23 : The lockdown in Kashmir continued for fourth day today with police barricading the roads and booked over 50 people for violating Government orders aimed at preventing the spread of Coronavirus in Kashmir.
The life across Kashmir came to a standstill with people remaining indoors, and shops and other business establishments shut.
The streets in Kashmir wore deserted look with police and para-military security forces blocking the roads with concertina wires and iron barricades to prevent movement of people and vehicles.
Police made announcement of restrictions from vehicles fitted with loud speakers and asking people to stay indoors.
People mostly stayed indoors and only those associated with essential services like milk vendors, pharmacy, water works, power and employees involved in fighting Coronavirus were only seen out.
Police at pharmacies and ATMs was directing people how to maintain social distance to prevent spread of Coronavirus.
Eight persons including a couple with travel history to Bangkok tested negative for Coronavirus here even as eight more people have been admitted to hospitals today.
Medical Superintendent of SKIMS, said that a husband-wife duo with travel history to Bangkok was admitted last night in SKIMS and their samples sent to check possibility of Coronavirus. He, however, said that they tested negative for COVID-19.
An official said that eight persons were admitted to Chest Disease (CD) hospital, three of them last night, while six persons have tested negative.
Five persons who were admitted today and their reports along with three others, admitted late last night, are awaited. Two among those admitted today have travel history to Saudi Arabia while another is hiding his travel history. These persons are infected and have been moved to isolation ward.
Dr Naveed Nazir, HoD CD hospital said that eight new persons have been admitted and six tested negative and reports of two others are awaited.
At least 20 people were today detained by police in north Kashmir’s Sopore town for violating orders issued by the administration on assembly of more than three persons to prevent spread of Coronavirus.
The administration had already imposed restrictions and appealed public as well as shopkeepers to obey the order and to co-operate with authorities in order to tackle COVID-19. However several shopkeepers and transporters in town didn’t follow the instructions and opened shops as per their own will.
Eight businessmen who were found violating the Government orders were booked in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district.
In Shopian, Police filed a case against 16 persons for violating Government orders on restrictions imposed to prevent spread of Coronavirus.
The police action followed an order by district administration, calling for registration of the FIR against violators.
The FIR (35/2020 under 188, 269 and 271 IPC) has been lodged in Police Station Shopian against the people who violated Government orders in Shopian.
Similarly, an FIR (8/2020 under section 188 IPC was registered in police station Keller against the violators. “The two separate cases were registered against 16 persons for violating the orders”, an official said.
In Anantnag 20 shops were sealed by Municipal Authorities as they were found violating Section 144 imposed by authorities in wake of the Coronavirus pandemic.
The market checking was led by Municipal Council Anantnag chairman Hilal Shah along with his team.
“We have been repeatedly announcing people to stay indoors and have been urging the traders of Anantnag district to close their businesses to curb the spread of coronavirus. Now, strict action is being taken against those found violating the Government order,” Shah said.
The District Magistrate, Budgam, today sealed six shops and booked two shopkeepers for violating lockdown orders issued by the district administration.
The inspection was carried out at Budgam market, New Bus Stand, Ompora, Shiekhpora, Humhama, Airport Road and other markets and during which 6 shops were sealed and 2 shopkeepers were booked under Section 188 IPC for violation of District Magistrate lockdown orders.
A man was arrested today after police found that he had kept 31 non-locals in his house without proper screening.
Police on specific information arrested one Arshid Hussian Dar, son of Ghulam Ahmad Dar of Hardmir Tral who is employing 31 labourers at construction site and had transported them to Valley without any screening or medical formalities.
Some of these labourers were found symptomatic. Dar has been booked and arrested (under FIR 21/ 2020 in Police Station Tral) for violating Government orders.
Police today filed an FIR against two persons from Awantipora and another one against a person in Ganderbal district who misled the authorities by hiding their travel history.
“Acting on specific information received from the Magistrate that two persons, both residents of Awantipora area have concealed their travel history in order to evade necessary quarantine process,” a police spokesman said.
Both the students have recently returned to their village Charsoo and Goripora of Awantipora with travel history of Pakistan and Bangladesh, he said.
“A case FIR No. 35/2020 under relevant sections of law has been registered at Police Station Awantipora,” he said.
They have been sent to EDI Pampore to undergo necessary quarantine process and legal action will be taken against them after their quarantine period is over, the spokesman said.
Similarly, a youth from Central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district was also booked by the district police for concealing the travel history.
Meanwhile, the Shab-e-Meraj (night of ascent) prayers in Kashmir on Sunday night were a low-key affair amidst the Coronavirus scare, officials said today.
They said no night-long prayers were held at any major mosque or shrine in the Valley.
The officials said Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Wakf Board had on Saturday announced the suspension of celebrations and congregational prayers on Shab-e-Meraj in view of the virus threat.
However, low-key celebrations and prayers were held at some mosques in the Valley, but the gatherings were small and prayers short, the officials said.
Shab-e-Meraj is observed on 27th of Rajab of Islamic lunar calendar every year.
Every year, the Hazratbal shrine, on the banks of Dal Lake, witnesses the biggest congregation on this occasion. However, no such prayers were held at the shrine this year.
And a Police spokesman said that in a series of actions against violators of prohibitory orders, Police arrested 49 individuals from Srinagar, Sopore, Handwara and Anantnag.
In Srinagar, police received an information regarding the gathering at Gani Memorial Stadium, Srinagar. “Officers swung into action and arrested three persons in connection with violating the orders issued by the Government under Section 144 CrPC to prevent spread of COVID-19”, Police said.
They have been identified as Faisal Shafi Chaira, Anzar Sajad Bazaz both residents of Rajouri Kadal and Shukran Manzoor resident of Hawal. They have been arrested and shifted to Police Station Nowhatta where they remain in custody.
“In Sopore, 10 individuals were arrested for violating prohibitory orders u/s 144 CrPC in the district.
In Handwara, Police booked 35 persons for defying prohibitry orders and seized 23 vehicles from different areas of Handwara. Similarly in Anantnag, one individual has been arrested for defying restrictions u/s 144 CrPC”, the spokesman said.
“Cases under relevant sections of law have been registered in this regard and investigations were initiated”, the spokesman added.
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