Corona-Cal and more than 90 thousand cases: Cases were registered for breaking the Kovid-protocol in UP, know what is their status now

Date 22 March 2020. The PM of the country came on TV. Referring to Corona, he said that the people themselves should follow the curfew. The public also took it hand-in-hand. The picture was but the rest, my friend.

Two days later, on 24 March, the PM again addressed the country. This time an indefinite lockdown was announced. With the lockdown came the Pandemic Act. There have been arrests and cases registered.

This act of 1897 is used to prevent the spread of dangerous epidemic diseases. In the event of an epidemic, the government gets extraordinary powers through this law.

More than 91 thousand cases in Uttar Pradesh
This act was applicable in the whole country including Uttar Pradesh also. A total of 91 thousand 02 cases were registered in 8 police zones and 4 police commissionerates of UP for breaking the Kovid protocol. This happened during 2020-21. However, in October 2021, Chief Minister Yogi spoke of the end of all the cases, provided that the file was sent to the Home Department.

Today in May 2022, Dainik Bhaskar conducted investigations in six cities of UP namely Kanpur, Gorakhpur, Prayagraj, Agra, Meerut and Varanasi. We wanted to know what is the status of those cases now? What happened after the withdrawal announcement? We take you straight, show the ground situation…

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Kanpur: No case returned till now
A total of 629 cases have been registered so far in Kanpur zone under the Pandemic Act (epidemic). The special thing is that none of these cases have been returned so far. Of these, 420 people have been released on personal bond. Neither case is over.

Apart from this police station in Kanpur, our reporter went to many more police stations to find out what is the status of the cases during the Corona period.

no one was sent to jail
According to the data, out of the total cases, 109 cases have been registered in East Zone, 129 in South Zone, 189 in North and 112 in Outer Zone. None of these cases have been withdrawn so far. In some, the accused have been released only on personal bond. No one has been sent to jail.

No case has been returned so far. 420 people took personal bail and were released. The rest did not make bail.

Gorakhpur: Order came and all cases were withdrawn
One lakh 14 thousand 174 cases were registered in 11 districts of Gorakhpur zone. Chargesheet has been filed in all the cases. After the order came, all the cases were returned. A total of 14 thousand 452 cases were registered under section 188 in Gorakhpur district. Chargesheet was filed in all these cases and later all the cases were withdrawn. It also includes 800 merchants. Around 200 cases were registered in the Cantt police station of the district alone. Now all the cases are returned.

This is the famous Chaurichaura police station of Gorakhpur. Here during the Corona period, the matter of jamming the dead body on the road happened earlier in the lockdown.

Section 188 back after deliberation
In the cases which were of demonstrations, road jams, sabotage during the Corona period, other sections remain intact. At the same time, Section 188 has been withdrawn during the investigation. Section 188 is a part of the Pandemic Act itself, under which people can be detained. It can be punishable with imprisonment for a month or a fine of Rs 200.

There was an incident of arson in the police post during the Panchayat elections in Brahmapur in Chaurichaura, Gorakhpur. There was a case of jamming the dead body on the road in Chaurichaura. There was a fire in the SP’s demonstration in the medical college, in which the councilors of Rajghat area were also involved.

So far no one has been punished in any case. No such cases have been registered in Gorakhpur till now after the case waiver.

Prayagraj: Some cases are still pending
A total of 10114 cases were registered in Prayagraj in 2020 and 2021 under the Kovid-19 epidemic. Most of them have returned. Due to weak lobbying of some people and not applying in the court, their cases are still pending.

The most talked about case of Pandemic Act was registered in April 202 in the first wave of Corona. On 20 April 2020, Shahid, a well-known professor of Political Science Department of Allahabad University, was arrested by the police for hiding the Tablighi Jamaatis in Sheikh Abdullah Mosque near Prayagraj Junction. He was accused of hiding a total of 30 people, including 7 from Indonesia and 9 Tablighi Jamaatis from Thailand, in the mosque without any information.

On 20 April 2020, 16 foreign and 14 Indian Tablighi Jamaatis, including Professor Shahid of the Political Science Department of Allahabad University, were arrested.

The most famous arrest of Prayagraj was Prof. Shahid’s
Police registered a case against a total of 30 people including 16 foreigners at Shivkuti police station and arrested them and sent them to jail. Pro. Shahid was also kept in jail for 44 days. Later Prof. Shahid was granted bail by the court. On 8 February 2022, the ACGM Court quashed the case registered against him and acquitted him of the case. The Indonesian and Thailand accused were jailed for five months. After this, they were also sent back to their respective homelands when no case was made out in the trial.

Meerut: Government withdrew all cases
The cases registered in Meerut district related to Kovid-19 are with the provision of punishment of less than 7 years. None of them can be arrested. However, the data of the cases registered is not yet available. When the Bhaskar reporter talked to the SP, he talked about coming after some time.

When the government withdrew the cases, in such a situation the cases themselves are considered to be over. Then the court also does not do any further process in that.

Agra and Varanasi Our reporters spoke to the people responsible, but could not get concrete information from there.

Pandemic Act was made in 1897
The Pandemic Act was made 123 years ago in the year 1897. At that time India was ruled by the British. Then there was the bubonic plague epidemic in Bombay, to control which the British made this law. This law was made to prevent the spread of epidemic dangerous diseases and to better prevent it. Under this, the then Governor General had given some special powers to the local officials.

Special features of Epidemic Act
This law is one of the shortest laws in the country. It has only four sections. The first section explains the title, other aspects and terminology of the law. The second mentions all the special powers, which are available to the central and state governments in times of epidemic. The third section mentions the punishment or fine to be received under section 188 of the Indian Penal Code for contravening the provisions of the law. The fourth and last section gives legal protection to the officers implementing the provisions of the law.

Reporters, Prayagraj From Amrish Shukla, Kanpur From Aditya Dwivedi, Gorakhpur From Vishnu Tripathi, Meerut From Manu Choudhary, Varanasi from Pushpendra Kumar Tripathi

graphics: Rajkumar Gupta