Violating lockdown norms with impunity

22/04/2020,

 SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,TIRUNELVELI

The curfew imposed to enforce physical distancing has lost some of its edge with two-wheeler riders roaming around the streets with impunity to “buy essentials” after police were ordered to return vehicles seized from violators.

Initially, there was fear of seizure of vehicles, but that has dissipated now. The bike riders can be seen roaming along roads once again as they are confident of getting back their vehicles after the directive to police.

Kanniyakumari police stand apart from their counterparts in other districts in south Tamil Nadu as they have so far seized 4,185 vehicles from violators after registering 5,265 cases.

“Stringent measures initiated by us have led to nil fatal accident in the district as on April 1. Only on April 20, a 40-year-old woman died in a hit-and-run accident involving a two-wheeler and an unidentified lorry. We will continue to enforce the lockdown with more vigour,” says N. Shreenath, Superintendent of Police, Kanniyakumari district.

Police have seized over 4,000 vehicles in Tenkasi district.

In Tirunelveli district, they have seized 2,440 vehicles from 3,272 violators after registering 2,350 cases.

In Thoothukudi district, police have registered 2,483 cases against 2,937 persons and seized 1,383 vehicles.

“It is not enough. Though police intercept vehicles, most of them give false reasons to justify their roaming and they are allowed to go. When a woman crossed VVD signal around noon on Tuesday on her two-wheeler with two children and another adult woman, all without helmets, she was allowed to go for reasons best known to the police deployed at the point,” said an ambulance driver, who witnessed the incident.

“If only the woman, who told the police that she was going to a supermarket, had been booked for not wearing helmet, defying lockdown and taking three pillion riders, she will not come out any more. We feel that such mild action encourages people to come out again and again,” the driver added.

Police admit that returning seized vehicles has emboldened violators as they are sure of facing the case in the court later.

“Instead of returning the vehicles, our higher-ups should have announced that vehicles will be released only after the rightful owners get an order from the court in their favour. As a case is registered without any vigour now, it encourages them to violate the law again and again,” said a police officer, who has been deployed to file cases against violators in Tirunelveli district.