Gujarat Shopkeeper Arrested For Not Following Covid Norms: Police

The FIR was lodged at Kandla-Marine police station on July 17 against the shopkeeper under Indian Penal Code Section 188 for disobeying government order, and he was arrested on Sunday.

Police have arrested a shopkeeper in Gujarat's Kutch district for not taking vaccine against COVID-19, against the backdrop of the state government setting July 31 as the deadline for people in such businesses to get their first jab. While the FIR registered against the 54-year-old shopkeeper specifically mentioned that he had violated district collector's notification about compulsory vaccination by July 31, police officials claimed the main reason for his arrest was the violation of mask and social distancing norms, and not the issue of inoculation. "The person was running his shop without wearing a mask. We also noticed customers were not maintaining social distancing. The collector's notification about vaccination also carries a warning in this regard. Thus, his arrest was mainly because of these violations, not because of his failure in getting the first dose," police inspector KP Sagathiya said. The FIR was lodged at Kandla-Marine police station on July 17 against the shopkeeper under Indian Penal Code Section 188 for disobeying government order, and he was arrested on Sunday.