Deputy Commissioner Kohima, Gregory Thejawelie NCS has issued the following lockdown directives listed below to be strictly followed with immediate effect.

1. The general public are to mandatorily continue strict social distancing in public places and work places.
2. Wearing of face mask, even homemade and frequent hand washing/hand sanitizing measures should be practised to avoid further spread of infection. Anybody found without Face Mask or with Mask without properly covering the Nose and Mouth shall be booked and fined under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860.
3. Use of common public toilets shall continue to remain prohibited.
4. Gathering of 5 (Five) or more people at public places shall continue to be restricted. Large physical meetings/gatherings are strictly prohibited.
5. Marriages related gathering should ensure social distancing and the maximum number of guest allowed shall not exceed more than 50 people.
6. Funeral/last rites related gatherings shall ensure social distancing and the maximum number of people allowed shall not exceed more than 20 people.
7. Persons above 65 years of age, persons with co-morbidities, pregnant women and children below the age of 10 years are advised to stay at home, except for meeting essential requirements/services and for health purposes.
8. In all shops, market places and work places, the provision of hand wash and sanitizers preferably with touch free mechanism should be made available at all entry and exit points and common areas.
9. Selling of Paan, Gutka, Tobacco etc. and consumption of the same in public places is not allowed and strictly prohibited.
10. Spitting in public places is a punishable offense and will be booked and Fined under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860.
11. All other relaxations and prohibitions which have been specified by this Office in previous orders shall remain in effect till further orders.

Failure to comply with this order shall invite strict penal actions as per the provision of Section 51 to 60 of the Disaster Management Act 2005, besides legal action under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 and other provisions wherever applicable.

Offences and Penalties for Violation of Lockdown Measures

A. Section 51 to 60 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005

51. Punishment for obstruction, etc.- Whoever, without reasonable cause

a) obstructs any officer or employee of the Central Government or the State Government, or a person authorised by the National Authority or State Authority or District Authority in the discharge of his functions under this Act; or

b) refuses to comply with any direction given by or on behalf of the Central Government or the State Government or the National Executive Committee or the State Executive Committee or the District Authority under this Act,

shall on conviction be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year or with fine, or with both, and if such obstruction or refusal to comply with directions results in loss of lives or imminent danger thereof, shall on conviction be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years.

52. Punishment for false claim. - Whoever knowingly makes a claim which he knows or has reason to believe to be false for obtaining any relief, assistance, repair, reconstruction or other benefits consequent to disaster from any officer of the Central Government, the State Government, the National Authority, the State Authority or the District Authority, shall, on conviction be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years, and also with fine.

53. Punishment for misappropriation of money or materials, etc.— Whoever, being entrusted with any money or materials, or otherwise being, in custody of, or dominion over, any money or goods, meant for providing relief in any threatening disaster situation or disaster, misappropriates or appropriates for his own use or disposes of such money or materials or any part thereof or willfully compels any other person so to do, shall on conviction be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years, and also with fine.

54. Punishment for false warning. - Whoever makes or circulates a false alarm or warning as to disaster or its severity or magnitude, leading to panic, shall on conviction, be punishable with imprisonment which may extend to one year or with fine.

55. Offences by Departments of the Government. - (1) Where an offence under this Act has been committed by any Department of the Government, the head of the Department shall be deemed to be guilty of the offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly unless he proves that the offence was committed without his knowledge or that he exercised all due diligence to prevent

(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (I), where an offence under this Act has been committed by a Department of the Government and it is proved that the offence has been committed with the consent or connivance of, or is attributable to any neglect on the part of, any officer, other than the head of the Department, such officer shall be deemed to be guilty of that offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly.

56. Failure of officer in duty or his connivance at the contravention of the provisions of this Act. - Any officer, on whom any duly has been imposed by or under this Act and who ceases or refuses to perform or withdraws himself from the duties of his office shall, unless he has obtained the express written permission of his official superior or has other lawful excuse for so doing, be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year or with fine.

57. Penalty for contravention of any order regarding requisitioning. - If any person contravenes any order made under section 65, he shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year or with fine or with both.

58. Offence by companies. - (1) Where an offence under this Act has been committed by a company or body corporate, every person who at the time the offence was committed, was in charge of, and was responsible to, the company, for the conduct of the business of the company, as well as the company, shall be deemed to be guilty of the contravention and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly:

Provided that nothing in this sub-section shall render any such person liable to any punishment provided in this Act, if he proves that the offence was committed without his knowledge or that he exercised due diligence to prevent the commission of such offence.

(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), where an offence under this Act has been committed by a company, and it is proved that the offence was committed with the consent or connivance of or is attributable to any neglect on the part of any director, manager, secretary or other officer of the company, such director, manager, secretary or other officer shall also, be deemed to be guilty of that offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly.

Explanation. - for the purpose of this section - 

i. “company” means any body corporate and includes a firm or other association of individuals; and

ii. “Director”, in relation to a firm, means a partner in the firm.

59. Previous sanction for prosecution. - No prosecution for offences punishable under sections 55 and 56 shall be instituted except with the previous sanction of the Central Government or the State Government, as the case may be, or of any officer authorised in this behalf, by general or special order, by such Government.

60. Cognizance of offences. - No court shall take cognizance of an offence under this Act except on a complaint made by-

(a) The National Authority, the State Authority, the Central Government, the

State Government, the District Authority or any other authority or officer authorised in this behalf by that Authority or Government, as the case may

(b) Any person who has given notice of not less than thirty clays in the manner prescribed, of the alleged offence and his intention to make a complaint to the National Authority, the State Authority, the Central Government the State Government, the District Authority or any other authority or officer authorised as aforesaid.

B. Section 188 in the Indian Penal Code, 1860

188. Disobedience to order duty promulgated by public servant.- Whoever, knowing that, by an order promulgated by a public servant lawfully empowered to promulgate such order, he is directed to abstain from a certain act, or to take certain order with certain property in his possession or under his management, disobeys such direction, shall, if such disobedience causes or tends to cause obstruction, annoyance or injury, or risk of obstruction, annoyance or injury, to any person lawfully employed, be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to one month or with fine which may extend to two hundred rupees, or with both and if such disobedience causes or trends to cause danger to human life, health or safety, or causes or tends to cause a riot or affray, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees, or with both.

Explanation - It is not necessary that the offender should intend to produce harm, or contemplate his disobedience as likely to produce harm. It is sufficient that he knows of the order which he disobeys, and that his disobedience produces, or is likely to produce, harm.

Illustration

An order is promulgated by a public servant lawfully empowered to promulgate such order, directing that a religious procession shall not pass down a certain street. A knowingly disobeys the order, and thereby causes danger of riot. A has committed the offence defined in this section.

 

(Morotsung Longchar IA Kohima)