India News

Organizer of Singer AP Dhillon’s Concert in Mumbai Booked For Violation of Covid-19 Protocols

A First Information Report (FIR) was registered against the organiser of singer AP Dhillon’s concert at a hotel in Mumbai for alleged violation of Covid-19 protocols at the event, Indian Express reported. The concert was held at Grand Hyatt in the city on Sunday.

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

The FIR has been lodged against Siddhesh K who organised the event. “We have booked him under Section 188 and 269 of the Indian Penal Code, 51B of the Disaster Management Act, and other appropriate sections of the Epidemic Act. We have also sent a notice to him,” Sunayana Nate, senior inspector of Vakola police station told the publication.

Several videos from the event that showed people without masks dancing went viral. Celebrities like Sara Ali Khan, Janhvi Kapoor, and Ibrahim Ali Khan were snapped there as well. Former Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar’s daughter Sara Tendulkar and actor Jaaved Jaaferi’s daughter Alaviaa Jaaferi were also spotted at the concert.

“We reached there at around 9.30 pm and intervened after finding out that Covid-19 norms were not being followed. There was overcrowding as well. We have taken suo moto cognizance of the matter and registered a FIR,” a police officer from Vakola police station told the publication.

The officer added that the organiser had taken all required permissions from Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) but did not follow the Covid-19 guidelines.

Due to the new Omicron variant of the Covid-19 virus, the Maharastra state had issued stricter guidelines to be followed. Among them were:

Recommended

  1. In case of any program/event/ activity happening in an enclosed/closed space like a cinema hall, theatre, marriage hall, convention hall, etc, people up to 50 percent of the capacity of the space will be allowed.
  2. In the case of open to sky spaces, for any events or gatherings, people up to 25 percent of space capacity will be allowed. Concerned DDMA shall have authority to decide the capacity in case of such locations of gatherings or events, if not already declared formally (like stadiums).

The total number of cases of Omicron variant in Maharashtra currently stands at 28.