8 MNS men booked for defying ban on entering water springs

Police have registered a criminaloffence against eight activists of the MNS for entering intohot water springs located inside a 'samadhi' temple indefiance of management orders here in Maharashtra, an officialsaid on Friday.

API Mahesh Sagde of the Ganeshpuri police station inThane district said an offence under relevant sections of theIPC and also the Epidemic Act, 1897, has been registeredagainst Sunil Deore, a local MNS leader, and seven othermembers of the Raj Thackeray-led party.

The Epidemic Act has been invoked in the state in viewof the COVID-19 pandemic.

The police said the management of the temple, whichhouses the 'samadhi' of a saint, had opened the premises forgeneral public, but had barred devotees from entering hotwater springs located in the compound for holy dip in view ofthe COVID-19 outbreak.

Defying the orders, Deore and other MNS activistssneaked into the prohibited area and took holy dip in hotwater springs on Thursday, they said.

Sagde said no arrest has been made regard so far.