City police to deploy drones to keep tabs on lockdown violators

As many as 1,727 vehicles, including two-wheelers, auto-rickshaws and four-wheelers were detained for violations. Apart from booking motorists, as many as 1,346 cases were registered against people for not wearing masks in public places. 

Another 83 cases were booked for not maintaining social distancing. At least 64 shops were booked for violation of lockdown norms. Law and order police teams had erected check posts at 200 places while another 118 points were being manned by cops from city traffic. In the city’s southern suburbs alone, police booked several bike riders who were found roaming unnecessarily in violation of the lockdown guidelines. 

The Tamil Nadu government had announced a two-week lockdown in the State and has requested the people not to come outside unless it is an absolute necessity. Meanwhile, the police went on patrol in Alandur, Pallavaram, Chromepet, and Tambaram on the GST Road and seized bikes of those who were roaming without proper reason. 

Police said only 20 per cent of the people had come out for a genuine reason and the rest of them were just roaming on their bikes with friends. The police seized bikes from all of them and let them go only after noting down their details and after warning them about the dangers posed by the virus. Police said the bikes will not be returned to the owner immediately after paying the fine. 

The bike owners will have to wait till the COVID cases drop and only after getting orders from the the bikes will be returned to their owner, police said.