Mumbai Police have arrested two members of a cooperative housing society in Ghatkopar area where a party with music and snacks was organised earlier this week. Mumbai is currently under a strict lockdown and prohibitory orders are in place to check public gatherings in a bid to flatten the curve of coronavirus that has wreaked havoc in the city.
According to police, the two arrested persons have been identified as Rahul Sanghvi (chairman of the society) and Jethalal Dedhia, the organiser of the party. The party was organised in the premises of Kukreja Palace housing society in Ghatkopar (East) and samosas were served to guests amid the lockdown, throwing all social distancing norms to the wind. The party was held on Monday.
Police said Rahul and Jethalal have been arrested on charges of violating prohibitory orders.
Maharashtra is the worst hit by Covid-19 and accounts for about a third of all cases in the country. According to the Health Ministry data, the country has reported 1,12,359 cases of which the highest number of confirmed cases are from Maharashtra at 39,297. Mumbai accounts for three out of every five cases in Maharashtra and also three of every five deaths. The state has reported 1,390 of 3,435 fatalities in the country.
The matter came to light after videos of the party went viral on social media platforms, prompting the police to initiate action against the organisers.
Several videos show as many as 30 people gathered in the society premises for the musical concert where samosas were also served. One of the video clips shows attendees playing the guitar while some others were seen eating and distributing samosas.
Police said the arrested persons have been charged under relevant IPC sections and the Disaster Management Act, which is in force due to the coronavirus outbreak.
