230 FIRs registered, 111 people arrested for violating curfew in Punjab

The Punjab Police on Tuesday registered 230 FIRs and arrested 111 people for violation of the curfew imposed by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh in the state to combat the COVID-19 crisis.

While the maximum of 38 FIRs for curfew violation were registered in SAS Nagar (Mohali), 34 were registered in Amritsar (Rural), and 30 each were reported from Tarn Taran and Sangrur, said DGP Dinkar Gupta.

The DGP said that a maximum number of 43 people were arrested from Tarn Taran. While 23 people had been arrested in Kapurthala, Hoshiarpur reported 15 arrests, followed by Bathinda (13), Ferozepur (5), Patiala (5), Gurdaspur (4) and Ludhiana Rural (2).

The figures for curfew violation from other districts stood at CP Amritsar (14), CP Jalandhar (10), Batala (6), Gurdaspur (4), Patiala (7), Ropar (4), Fatehgarh Sahib (11), Jalandhar Rural (7), Hoshiarpur (9), Kapurthala (4), Ludhiana Rural (2), SBS Nagar (1), Bathinda (3), Ferozepur (7), Moga (4) and Faridkot (1).

The districts which had zero violation of curfew were Khanna, Pathankot, Barnala, CP Ludhiana, Fazilka and Mansa.

Two cases of violation of quarantine restrictions were also reported during the day, said the DGP, adding that these were from Sri Muktsar Sahib, which also reported four cases of curfew violation.

Following the detailed curfew guidelines issued by the Chief Minister, the DGP held a meeting of all IG/DIG Ranges and CP/SSPs over video conference, along with the senior management team of the Punjab Police.

The meeting deliberated over systems to be put in place to facilitate the people to get access to essential items, such as milk and foodstuff, medicines and healthcare.

The DGP directed all the District Police Chiefs to ensure that curfew passes are provided on need basis to maintain essential services, including telecom, banks, ATMs, journalists, newspapers, doctors, paramedics, sanitary workers, electricians and plumbers.

Gupta also exhorted the field police staff to work as missionaries and social workers in such testing times for the citizens.

He asked them to raise and deploy a team of about 50-100 policemen to coordinate the maintenance of food and medicines to the people. He further asked them to mobilise young citizens as a Volunteer Corps, along with delivery boys to establish a supply line between Kirana shops and consumers to ensure doorstep delivery of food and other essential items.

Gupta suggested that out-of-work auto and taxi drivers could also be deployed as delivery boys to door to door deliveries. Ludhiana, Sangrur and Barnala districts have already put such systems in place.

It was also discussed that 'rehris' and milk vans should be allowed to move into colonies, mohallas and streets for door-to-door deliveries.

The DGP advised the District Police Chiefs to allow the smooth movement of trucks across inter-state borders to carry food items into Punjab so that there was no scarcity of essential commodities.