People violating lockdown rules will be dealt with strictly: Chennai police Commissioner

The City Police on Tuesday warned that people violating prohibitory orders clamped to enforce the ongoing lockdown will be dealt with strictly and advised citizens to walk to the nearest stores to buy essential commodities including vegetables.

City Police Commissioner A K Viswanathan said complaints have been received that many motorists travel farther under the pretext of buying essentials, even as the state has effected a lockdown as part of its efforts to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Chennai has the highest number of coronavirus infected persons in Tamil Nadu with 110 patients while the state''s overall tally stands at 621, according to latest government data.

The government had earlier curtailed the business hours of shops selling essential items such as vegetables by 90 minutes after it expressed concern that the lockdown rules were not being followed by the public properly.

"Essential commodities will be available in the vicinity, within 1-2 km. People can walk to the shops to buy them," Viswanathan told reporters here, and pointed out that Chief Minister K Palaniswami has also advised in this regard.

Further, as suggested by the government, one can buy stocks for a week and should not venture out of their homes everyday for this purpose, he added.

Palaniswami had on Saturday announced that shops selling essential items can remain open only from 6 am to 1 pm, while earlier they were allowed to function till 2.30 pm.

The government''s curbs relating to shops remaining open was announced after Palaniswami warned of tightening the ongoing lockdown on Friday as many were not following the prohibitory orders clamped to implement it.

The state has imposed Section 144 Cr.Pc., which bans the assembly of more than five persons, to implement the lockdown.

On Tuesday, Viswanathan further said the police had received complaints that many persons travel farther in their two-wheelers under the pretext of buying such essentials.

"We will take strict action against them," he said.

So far cases have been booked against 30,000 persons and 12,000 vehicles have been seized in this connection in the city, he added.

"People should realise the seriousness (of the situation) and protect themselves and their families," he said in an apparent reference to staying indoors.

To a question, he said steps have been taken by the Corporation of Chennai to deliver essential items to people residing in containment areas in the city from where COVID19 positive cases have been reported. Earlier, he gave away hand sanitizers and energy drinks to city police personnel.