The BMC filed an FIR against Bollywood actors Arbaaz Khan, Sohail Khan and his son Nirvaan on Monday, for skipping the mandatory institutional quarantine after returning from the UAE. According to the BMC, the trio allegedly misled the teams at the airport by telling them they were going to a hotel to quarantine themselves but instead, headed home.
Following the lodging of an FIR by the Medical Officer of Health, H-West ward, the Khar Police have booked the three for violating the Covid-19 quarantine norms on their return from the UAE on December 25. The complainant and Medical Officer of Health H-West ward Dr Sanjay Funde confirmed that the trio have since been shifted to the Taj Lands End hotel, where they will have to complete their quarantine.
Mumbai Police spokesperson and Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations) S Chaitanya said that the trio had been booked under section 188 Indian Penal Code (IPC) (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and section 3 of Epidemic Diseases Act.
Section 3 of the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, provides penalties for disobeying any regulation or order made under the Act. These are according to Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant).
DCP S Chaitanya said that the complaint was lodged by the civic health officer on Monday evening. In the First Information Report (FIR), the complainant stated that it was brought to his notice that actors Sohail, Arbaaz and Sohail’s son Nirvaan had skipped the institutional quarantine and had gone to their homes, following which Dr Funde, led a team to Sohail Khan’s residence to verify.
As per the guidelines issued by the state government and the airport, all passengers arriving from the Middle East and European countries, regardless of their further travel plans, will be subjected to mandatory institutional quarantine. The accused in this case, however, skipped the institutional quarantine and went home.
The statement by Dr Funde in the FIR read: “When we reached Sohail’s residence, he claimed that he and his brother had returned from the UAE on December 25 while his son Nirvaan had returned on December 30 at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai, and had booked a room at Hotel Taj Lands End in Bandra (W). After the COVID test done at the airport said that they were negative, which is why they directly headed home and skipped the institutional quarantine, which was a clear violation of the rules.”
DCP Chaitanya, too, corroborated the facts that the trio returned from Dubai on December 25 and 30 and were asked to remain in quarantine in a hotel but went home and violated the quarantine.
Dr Funde told The Free Press Journal, “The trio violated the quarantine norms and misled the health teams at the airport. An unknown person informed about this violation. So I, along with my team, visited Sohail Khan’s resident to verify the same, where he told us the truth. Skipping mandatory institutional quarantine is a violation of Covid-19 norms stipulated by the civic body and state government and will not be tolerated. We are now shifting the three to Taj Lands End, and the remaining actions under the law will be taken after they complete their quarantine.”
Source: Free Press Journal
