Berhampur: Hundreds of people including women detained a PCR van at Jagabandhu Sahi in Berhampur when the police had gone there to desist them from catching fish in the local pond flouting the shutdown guidelines on Sunday.
The locals were engaged in catching fish in the pond without wearing masks and maintaining social distance since morning. On being informed, police reached at the spot and asked them to refrain from it. But, the locals opposed the police and detained the vehicle.
Later, the PCR van personnel called for additional force and sent the people to their homes. Nobody has been arrested in this connection, police sources said.
This is not the only instance of violation of the shutdown declared by the state government on Saturday and Sunday in Berhampur. Though the police vans are patrolling the city and requesting the people not to come out of their houses during the shutdown, the violation of government order continues.
Some time back, the district administration had seized huge quantity of fish and chicken from Sidhartha Nagar square. Similarly, there was public rush to buy eggs and chicken from the stalls in front of Shiv temple in Kamapalli.
According to police sources, 158 challans have been issued to the vehicle owners and 173 cases of mask violation detected in the last 24 hours in Berhampur police district.
Similarly, fine of Rs 78,300 has been collected for not using mask and Rs 1500 for violation of social distancing in Ganjam district during the period, the sources added.
