Police on Monday booked two medical students who had returned from Pakistan and Bangladesh but concealed their travel history to avoid quarantine in the wake of covid-19 pandemic.
The move followed after the district magistrate Pulwamayesterday recommended an FIR against the duo for negligence that has potentialto spread the deadly infection.
“A case FIR 35/2020 under relevant sections of law has beenregistered at police Station Awantipora,” a police official said.
He said the duo after being traced has already been sent toa designated centre for undergoing necessary quarantine process.
“Necessary legal actionwill be taken against them after their quarantine period is over,” the policeofficial said.
Due to porous screening atthe airport and the check-points along the national highway, a number of caseshave come to fore in Jammu and Kashmir wherein the travelers arriving fromabroad fearing quarantine have concealed their journey to the authorities.
An official said the twoMBBS students from different Awantipora villages after returning each fromPakistan and Bangladesh tried to circumvent the screening and surveillanceteams and went into hiding. The duo, one among them a girl, he said had reachedvalley via Srinagar-Jammu National Highway and went into hiding. However, bothwere traced and screened.
“They had no symptoms forthe coronavirus but have been sent to a quarantine facility for 14 days as perthe set protocol,” an official said
District Magistrate PulwamaRaghav Langher had recommended FIR against the duo under section 269 IPC(unlawfully or negligently doing something which is likely to spread infectionof any dangerous disease to life), section 270 IPC (malignant act likely tospread infection of dangerous disease to life), section 271 IPC (knowinglydisobeying any quarantine rule) and section 188 IPC (for disobeying anyGovernment order).
Meanwhile, the Awantiporapolice has appealed the public of their jurisdiction-Pampore, Awantipora andTral to cooperate with police and administration in order to curb the spread ofCOVID-19 infection. “General public of Awantipora are requested to share suchinformation with Police Control Room Awantipora on 01933-247369, 7051404001,” apolice handout read.
It said the communitymembers are requested to come forward with any information about individualswho have recently returned from outside J&K and hiding their travelhistory.
Meanwhile, police hasregistered an FIR against a person from Hurdumir village of Tral area inAwantipora police district. He, a policeofficial said, had kept 31 non-local labourers in his house without proper screening.
1 Booked in Ganderbal
Ganderbal police hasregistered a case against a local resident for hiding his foreign travelhistory, a mandatory requirement in view of the coronavirus pandemic.
SSP Ganderbal, Khalil AhmadPoswal told Greater Kashmir that a person who had recently returned fromBangladesh hadn’t disclosed his travel history to the medical authorities. “Hehas been booked by Ganderbal Police,” said Poswal.
He said anyone who hideshis/her foreign travel history will face legal action. “The person booked hasmeanwhile been sent to a quarantine home,” Poswal said.