The Jammu and Kashmir police Saturday registered a case against a boy from Muqam Shahwali for concealing travel history who later tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday. Two close contacts of the person also tested positive on Saturday.
A police official told that case against the boy was registered for concealing the travel history and exposing the whole local population to this deadly virus.
He said that the boy having travel history of Delhi Nizamuddin, had reported back to his home on March 22 and kept roaming in his immediate neighbourhood for more than 15 days. The native place of youth (now positive) has been declared as red zone, the official said.
Official sources told that aggressive contact tracing was done, during which his family members including the relatives and some contacts were put in quarantine.
Among the contacts, two of his relatives have tested positive for Novel Coronavirus on Saturday, while the whole population is still under the tight grip of fear since the locals claimed that the boy was seen roaming freely in the area and was part of several cricket matches and drove several vehicles.
However the police in Kupwara has learnt that the boy had reported back home some weeks back and argued with local sarpanch and local magisterial team to go under quarantine. Following the same police swung into action and registered a case against the youth for concealing the travel history.
The cases FIR number 70 under Indian panel code (IPC) stands registered that includes, Whoever unlawfully or negligently does any act which is, and which he knows or has reason to believe to be, likely to spread the infection of any disease dangerous to life, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine, or with both (269 IPC), Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life.
Whoever malignantly does any act which is, and which he knows or has reason to believe to be, likely to spread the infection of any disease dangerous to life, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both (270 IPC) and Disobedience to quarantine rule.—
Whoever knowingly disobeys any rule made and promulgated by the Government for putting any vessel into a state of quarantine, or for regulating the intercourse of vessels in a state of quarantine with the shore or with other vessels, or for regulating the intercourse between places where an infectious disease prevails and other places, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine, or with both (271 IPC)
Meanwhile, Kupwara police has requested the people with travel history to report to quarantine centres on their own, failing which strict action will be taken as per law.
The locals have hailed the prompt action of kupwara police stating that it shows their concern about the lives of general masses.
