Over 200 people gathered for a religious function at a temple in Gujarat's Bhavnagar city following which police registered a first information report against its organisers for alleged violation of COVID-19 guidelines, an official said on Monday.
Notably, the state government in a recent notification said all social, political and religious functions will be allowed with a maximum of 200 people in an open area and in case of closed space, a maximum 50 per cent capacity and not exceeding 200 attendees would be allowed.
Acting on an information, the police reached the Dada Saheb Jain Temple in Kalanala area here on Sunday afternoon and found more than 200 people gathered at a hall in the premises, an official from Nilambagh police station said.
The police also found that the programme organisers had not taken permission for the event from competent authority, he said.
"Despite the possibility of spread of COVID-19 infection, they brought together more than 200 devotees at the Derasar to participate in a religious function without permission from the authorities, thereby violating COVID-19 norms and putting people's lives at risk," the official said.
An FIR was registered against four organisers of the event on Sunday night under Indian Penal Code Sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and 269 (negligent act likely to spread the infection of a disease dangerous to life), and provisions of the Epidemic Diseases Act, he said.
On Sunday, Gujarat reported 33 COVID-19 cases, taking the infection tally to 8,24,493, while one death in Ahmedabad took the toll to 10,076, as per official data.
