Kalaburagi, April 5 (IANS): Even as police across the country are grappling with the issue of dealing with lockdown regulation violators, police in the city have been quite innovative when it comes to punishing local violators.

On Saturday, police at the Chowk Police Station in the city took around 50 COVID-19 lockdown violators through a circuit of yoga sessions, physical workouts and oath-taking ceremonies

With people engrossed in breathing exercises, the scene near the Cotton MarketA resembled a yoga centre. The only indication to say it is not a routine yoga session, was the presence of policemen prodding the participants to do the exercise properly. The initiative to discourage lockdown violators in this novel way was taken by Shakeel Angadi, Circle Inspector at the Chowk Police Station.

The only commonality between participants and police personnel, were the COVID-19 masks across their faces. The participants were all lockdown violators who had been apprehended by the police.

The violators numbering 40 were later let off after taking oath to not violate the lockdown regulations again.

The police also gifted candles to the persons to light up at 9 pm on April 5 as per the appeal of the Prime Minister.

Over the past three days, the police have seized 110 vehicles from people venturing onto the streets in violation of the lockdown regulations in place since March 24.

Last week too, police in the city had punished lockdown violators by forcing them to sweep the streets.

This district headquarters in north Karnataka leapt to the national headlines when a 76-year old Kalaburgi man became the country's first COVID-19 fatality.