Agra, Apr 19 (IANS): Eight persons have been arrested in the Loha Mandi area of Agra for allegedly not wearing face masks.

The police have charged all the eight persons, including two women, under the CrPC section 151 (arrest to prevent the commission of cognizable offences).

The accused were presented before the executive magistrate who sent them to jail for 14 days on Saturday for not wearing the mandatory face masks in public.

Narendra Sharma, station house officer (SHO) of Loha Mandi police station said, "All the eight accused were picked up from different locations such as Sayeed Pada, Moti Kunj, Nai Basti, Telipada and Nau Basta area, where they were either wandering on street without any specific purpose that too without mask or were gathered in group violating the protocol of lockdown."

Basant Gupta, district government counsel (criminal) said, "The accused failed to pay the surety bond of Rs one lakh and for the non-compliance they were sent behind the bars for two weeks."

In a similar case earlier last week, the Shahganj police had booked three men for not wearing masks.

The Uttar Pradesh government has made it compulsory to wear mask or hide mouth and nose, while travelling on street or moving in public places.