Police chief’s orders give legal teeth to Karnataka govt’s announcement on permitted/prohibited activities
BENGALURU:
Pursuant to the Karnataka government adopting the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Bengaluru city police commissioner Bhaskar Rao has extended the operation of prohibitory orders under Section 144 till May 31.
The prohibitory orders will remain in force in all parts of the Bengaluru City Police Commissionerate for a period of 14 days with effect from 00.00 hours on May 18 up to 00.00 hours on May 31.
With the prohibitory orders in place, any violation of the measures announced by the state government will attract the provisions of Sections 51 to 60 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, besides legal action under Section 188 of the IPC.
The prohibitory orders have been issued in exercise of the powers conferred u/s 144(1) of the Cr.P.C. on the Bengaluru city police commissioner and the Additional District Magistrate, Bengaluru City.
The orders enumerate the already-announced state government measures prohibiting, among other things, domestic and international air travel, metro rail, schools and colleges, restaraunts/hotels, cinema jhalls, malls, religious congregarions, etc.
The police commissioner’s orders also list activities permitted, among other things, by the state government (except in containment zones), such as inter-state and intra-state movement of passenger vehicles, buses and trains, and reopening of barbershops, salons and parks.
The orders stipulate that in the jurisdiction of the Bengaluru City Police Commissionerate, inter-state and intra-state  movement of medical professionals, nurses and paramedical staff, sanitation personnel and ambulances shall be allowed without any restriction. Inter-state movement of all types of goods/cargo, including empty trucks, shall be allowed.
