With restrictions, plethora of cases under IPC section 188

As various restrictions are in place in view of the coronavirus outbreak, the Mumbai police registered 141 cases for defiance of official orders in the last five days. All these cases were registered under IPC section 188 (disobeying lawful orders of public servants).

A nation-wide lockdown was imposed on Tuesday while the Maharashtra government had already restricted movement on the roads and ordered the closure of non-essential establishments. Of the 141 cases registered in the city, 69 were registered in north Mumbai, a police official said.

Most of these cases were about shops selling non- essential good remaining open, hawkers violating curfew and illegal gatherings among other violations..