Police commissioner warns against aimless travel on Chennai roads

TNN | Apr 8, 2020, 07.10 AM IST

CHENNAI: All bikes and cars seized for violating prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC will be released only after the ban is lifted in the state, city police commissioner A K Viswanathan said on Tuesday.

Warning residents against roaming aimlessly on the roads, he said police personnel who catch such people will deal with them strictly. There have been instances where people have been found travelling long distances, from one corner of the city to another, just for fun, he said, adding that such ‘picnics’ should stop.

In Chennai, from March 24, when the lockdown kicked in, to April 6, police have seized about 12,000 bikes from those who in defiance of the orders came out on to the streets. “As per instructions, police have so far arrested about 30,000 people for violating prohibitory orders,” Viswanathan said.

At a programme held at Periamet, Viswanathan distributed packets, each containing a sanitizer and a mask, to armed reserve police constables. The event was organized by Aranya Foundation, an NGO run by Arnav Rathore, a Class XI student and son of additional director general of police Sandeep Rai Rathore. NGO volunteers distributed at least one lakh mixed fruit sachets to police personnel on duty.

Later, addressing reporters, Viswanathan said every day hundreds of people came out on to the roads, despite the prohibitory orders, saying they had to buy essential products. “Every individual can purchase essential products within a kilometre of his/her house and it is not necessary to leave the house and go to faroff places every day. Since police are in the forefront of dealing with such people, it is necessary that they are protected with safety gear,” he said. We have received complaints that people ride far beyond the twokilometre radius on the pretext of buying groceries, he added.