Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh government on Thursday announced that the cases registered against persons under minor sections for violating COVID-19 pandemic guidelines during the lockdown would be withdrawn.
“On the directions of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the government has decided to withdraw all cases filed under ordinary sections for violation of the norms of the lockdown during COVID-19 in the state”, the spokesperson of the state cabinet, Narottam Mishra, who holds portfolios of Home, Jail, Law and Parliamentary Affairs said while interacting with reporters in a media briefing here.
“The CM has given such instructions during a review meeting of the Home Department to issue the orders of withdrawal of the cases in the public interest keeping the lawful procedure”, Minister Mishra also said.
The state government had invoked the prohibitive orders under section 144 of the CrPC during the COVID-19 pandemic-induced lockdown imposed from March 2020 to January 2022.
During that period, a total of 56,670 cases were registered across the state under sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269,270 and 271 of the Indian Penal Code, Epidemic Diseases Act-1897 and Disaster Management Act-2005, according to state Home Department. In the major cities of the state like Bhopal and Indore, around 13,000 and 9,000 cases have been registered, respectively.
The cases were mainly registered against those who gathered for religious events, marriage, and other family and social functions. The Home Department sources said that many cases were also registered for people roaming on the streets and opening shops during the night lockdown.
Most of the cases have been sent to courts for prosecution, but now the cases will be withdrawn but after the government announcement, they will be withdrawn.
A total of 10,56,341 people had contracted COVID-19 across the state, of which 10,786 succumbed to the pandemic.
During the lockdown, cases had been registered against the people for violating the guidelines such as not wearing a mask or gathering publicly, on the grounds that it could potentially spread the viral infection.