While the State government is expected to take a call on extending the lockdown in the next couple of days, Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday indicated that the police would go for stricter enforcement of rules, including seizure of vehicles of motorists moving about unnecessarily.
However, in Bengaluru vehicle seizures would be undertaken by the law and order police. The Bengaluru Traffic Police on Thursday suspended physical checks on vehicles to reduce the risk of personnel contracting COVID-19.
The government had initially announced restrictions from April 27 till May 12, but later imposed a complete lockdown from May 10 to 24, following an increase in COVID-19 cases. Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa has said a decision on extending the lockdown would be taken on May 23.
On the spike in cases in rural parts, Mr. Bommai said the Deputy Commissioners of districts have imposed lockdown measures strictly and people should also understand the seriousness of the situation and cooperate.
In Bengaluru, traffic police personnel have been instructed to monitor motorists with the field traffic violation cameras issued to them. B.R. Ravikanthe Gowda, Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Bengaluru, said though preventing road accidents and enforcing traffic rules was the primary concern, it was also equally important to ensure the safety of traffic personnel.
A total of 1,205 vehicles seized on Thursday for violating lockdown rules. According to the police, 1,074 two-wheelers, 64 autorikshaws, and 67 four-wheelers were seized. The police also booked seven cases against shops under the Disaster Management Act for operating during the lockdown. On Wednesday, the Bengaluru City Police seized 941 vehicles, including 870 bikes and 37 autorickshaws. However, many people objected to the police action and cited harassment. When Police Commissioner Kamal Pant tweeted about the number of seizures on his Twitter handle, people pointed out that a majority of the seized vehicles were two-wheelers, which usually belong to lower middle class people who need them to earn a living.
The Home Minister’s announcement on strict action also elicited comments on social media. Many users asked if the police had taken action against Mr. Yediyurappa’s son B.Y. Vijayendra, who allegedly violated the lockdown rules on Tuesday when he visited Srikanteshwara temple in Nanjangud, Mysuru. Some Twitter users asked if his visit was treated as an emergency, while others wanted to know if his vehicle had been seized.
