Bengaluru, Apr 22 (IANS): Intensifying patrolling and checks to prevent people from coming out of houses, the police have initiated a crackdown on lockdown violators across this tech city by blocking roads and seizing vehicles, an official said on Wednesday.
"As many people have been coming out of houses without pass or valid reason on motorbikes or scooters and cars, we have seized about 3,000 vehicles so far since morning on Wednesday and sealed many roads to block vehicular movement," Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) S.D. Sharanappa told IANS.
Acting on a letter by Karnataka Director-General of Police (DGP) Praveen Sood to strictly enforce the lockdown, Bengaluru Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao deployed additional forces across the city, especially in the hotspots where more number of Covid cases were reported and declared as no-go areas.
"We have also confiscated many fake and duplicate passes flaunted by violators to ride or drive through the city without purpose," said Sharanappa.
The city police also stopped granting passes after the lockdown was extended on April 15 up to May 3 to prevent habitual offenders from violating the shutdown guidelines, which exempt those on official duty, healthcare warriors, suppliers of essential goods and services.
"The state government on Tuesday opened a helpline for home delivery of medicines, groceries, milk, vegetables, fruits and other essential goods at a nominal fee of Rs 10 to ensure the people stay at home and not go out on the pretext of buying their daily needs," said Sharanappa.
With the shortage of police personnel in the absence of filling vacant posts and hiring more to meet the needs of a growing cosmopolitan city, the men and women in khaki are stressed out, having been on Covid-19 duty over the last month without even a weekly off.
"As we are aware of the pressure under which the police personnel from IPS level officers to the sentry at all police station in and around the city have been working day and night since the 21-day lockdown was suddenly enforced on March 24 and extended on April 15 for another 19 days to break the virus chain and prevent the disease spread," said Sharanappa.
With the suspension of public transport service, including buses, trains and flights and ban on movement of private vehicles to prevent lockdown violation, Sood directed the police to seize the vehicles and detain the frequent offenders.