By Ashna Butani
The Gautam Budh Nagar Police has made not having the Aarogya Setu app on one’s phone a punishable offence.
Those living in the district, which includes Noida and Greater Noida, as well as those entering from outside need to have the app installed on their smartphones, according to an order circulated on the night of May 3 and is in force from the following day.
“All those with smartphones who do not have the application can be booked under Section 188 of the IPC (disobedience to an order duly promulgated by a public servant). After that, a judicial magistrate will decide if the person will be tried, fined or let off with a warning,” said Akhilesh Kumar, DCP, Law and Order. The section can attract a fine of Rs 1,000 or imprisonment up to six months.
“If people download it instantly, we will let them go. We are doing this so people take the order seriously and download it. But if they do not download it after repeated warnings, we will have to take action,” said Kumar.