Four people including a father-son duo who returned from Iraq have been booked under various sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC) and epidemic diseases act for violating the home quarantine rules imposed by the Tamil Nadu government. In a measure to contain the spread of Covid 19, the state government had imposed compulsory 14-day quarantine for foreign returnees who were suspected to be symptomatic for COVID-19.
The father-son duo had reportedly returned from Iraq, were staying at a residence in Koyambedu. They were strictly asked by the government authorities to be in home quarantine for 28 days. The duo according to the authorities fled Koyambedu to reach their native village near Ramanathapuram in South Tamil Nadu. Another Chennai resident who had arrived from China and was instructed to be in home quarantine at his residence at Annanagar in Chennai was caught by the authorities. Earlier on Tuesday, police slapped cases against a civil engineer in Chennai for violating the rule.
All four have been booked under various sections of the IPC including 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269 (spread infection of disease dangerous to life), 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 271 (disobedience to quarantine rule). The four have also been booked under Section 3 of the Epidemic Diseases Act and Sec 51(b) of the Disaster Management Act. Authorities in the health and police department say that all the four people will be punished and can even be jailed up to three-and-a-half years in prison if the charges against them are proved.
It may be recalled that the state government and health minister C. Vijayabaskar have been continuously warning of strict action if the foreign returnees violate the home quarantine rules. Vijayabhaskar warned that their passports will be impounded.
The Tamil Nadu government has screened close to two lakh people and 15,598 people have been asked to be under home quarantine for 28 days. A total of 116 people are in complete isolation in the hospitals while 48 people from highly infected countries are put to strict quarantine in tbe quarantine centres near the airports.
Five new cases were reported in the state on Wednesday, of which four were Indonesian nationals and one was their travel guide. They tested positive at Salem Medical College and have been quarantined since March 3322, tweeted Vijayabaskar.
