In view of the prevailing health situation because of COVID-19 outbreak the District Magistrate Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary has issued an order prohibiting all sorts of religious congregation and public movement on the occasion of Shab-e-Barat in Srinagar.
The order issued under Section 144 of CrPC states that thedecision to prohibit religious gatherings during the occasion has been takenbased on recommendations of concerned authorities and reports from the field.
It states that these restrictions will remain enforcedthrough the intervening night of April 8 and 9 adding that violations willattract strict action under Section 188 of the IPC and Section 51 of thedisaster management act.
The DM said that prohibitions on religious and othergatherings has become indispensable in view of the threat from coronavirusinfection adding that these among other measures put in place in the districtare aimed at containing its spread.
It is notable that restrictions on gatherings and publicmovement are enforced in the district since March 20 — put in place as part ofmeasures to contain spread of COVID-19 after the first positive case wasreported from the district.