Lockdown: TN police registers five lakh plus FIRs, imposes over Rs 8 crore fine

Tamil Nadu police on Thursday said it has so farregistered five lakh plus First Information Reports for alleged violation of lockdownnorms across the State and levied a fine of over Rs eight crore. For the 5,08,263 cumulative instances of violation of lockdown, an equalnumber of FIRs were registered, the state police said.

A fine amount of Rs 8.36 crore has so far been imposed on the alleged violators of lockdown regulations and as many as 4,27,689 vehicles were seized,a police release said. Chennai police, meanwhile, said in a single day (from 6 am on Wednesday till 6 am today) they registered 427 cases and seized 35 two-wheelers, 21 autorickshaws and five light motor vehicles including cars for alleged violations.

Lockdown kicked in on March 24 evening in Tamil Nadu. Though the current fourth phase of lockdown has a string of relaxations inTamil Nadu for various sectors unlike the first three, several other curbs continue to be on and Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code continues to be in force.

For travel from a district to another, permission is needed and people have to apply through the government portal (TN e-pass). While 25 districts including Coimbatore have greater relaxations, 12 districtsincluding Chennai have more curbs in view of the high number of coronavirus cases.

Police checkposts on highways, key intersections in urban and rural localitiescontinue to monitor public movement and patrols are also on across the State toenforce lockdown. The fourth phase of lockdown is set to end on May 31.PTI VGNSS PTI PTI