Eight people, including two women, were arrested in Vadodara on Sunday for allegedly campaigning against the Kovid vaccine at a public place in the city’s Kamati Bagh area.
According to the police, a patrol team of Sayajiganj police station arrested the group for “spreading anti-vaccine propaganda” through pamphlets in Hindi in the busy Kamati Bagh band stand area in the evening.
The accused have been identified as Narendra Parmar, Chand-Rakant Mistry, Vishal Ferwani, Kewal Pathadiya, Jagwinder Singh, Irfan Patel, Avani Gajjar and Bhumika Gajjar.
“A patrol party received information that a group was involved in anti-vaccine propaganda at Kamatibagh band stand around 1.45 pm. The persons found to be members of ‘Awake Gujarat Movement’ and ‘Awaken Vadodaraian’ were involved in the propaganda without wearing or maintaining masks. social distancing At a time when a drive on vaccination is being run by the central government,” said a senior police officer from Sayajiganj police station.
According to the police, all the eight accused have been booked under sections 120B of the Indian Penal Code for criminal conspiracy, 143 for unlawful assembly, 188 for disobedience to an order given by a public servant and 270 for deadly act of spreading infection of a disease. A case was registered under section 51 with possibility. B of the Disaster Management Act and Section 54 of the Disaster Management Act for false warning for refusal to comply with the direction issued by the Central or State Governments.
Two pamphlets were confiscated by the police, which said, “Is it mandatory to take the COVID vaccine” and “Can those who do not take the COVID vaccine be deprived of all government-related services and schemes”. Police said the group had made a similar attempt in January 2021 and was actively campaigning on the social media group Telegram.
.