Mumbai: Even as the number of covid-19 cases is rapidly rising, there has been no stop to the late-night parties and crowding in public places across Mumbai. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on late Wednesday night registered an FIR against the manager of Auber-gin plates and pours a popular restaurant at Breach Candy in South Bombay that was found violating covid-19 norms.
The civic body also collected Rs 19,400 from patrons found openly flouting physical distancing and not wearing masks.
A show-cause notice has been issued to the management of Auber-gin asking why they failed to impose covid19 safety protocol on their premises.
The inspection was conducted by a team of officials from the D ward ( that comprises areas such as Breachcandy, Malabar hill, Napean Sea road). The FIR was registered at Gamdevi police station by Subodhchandra Rane, from the D ward's health department.
As per the order issued by the Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal first in 2020 and then on March 15, 2021, the ward officials formed a special squad to visit and inspect restaurants and bars in their jurisdiction to check if they are following covid19 safety protocol and take action against those flouting norms.
A squad headed by Subodhchandra Rane and compromising of two sub engineers, two junior engineers and a junior supervisor visited Auber-gin plates and pours on late Wednesday night. "During the inspection visit, we found that over 200 people were present inside the restaurant. The majority of them nor wearing masks and were seen openly flouting physical distancing. When we inquired with the restaurant's manager, his replies were vague and not satisfactory. Following this we have lodged an FIR against managed of the restaurant at Gamdevi police station," Rane said.
The Gamdevi police have booked Sameer Subedar, manager of Auber-gin under section 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of Indian Penal Code and section 51 (B) of disaster management act 2005 (refusing 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).
The BMC's D-ward has also sealed the restaurant for violation of the COVID-19 norms.
Mumbai on Wednesday reported 2,377 new covid-19 cases, crossing the 2,000-cases mark for the first time since October 15, when the city reported 2,119 cases in a single day. The rapid spurt in the number of cases reported daily has become the cause of concern for BMC officials. While the Mumbai civic body is still not looking at the option of imposing lockdown, carelessness on the part of citizens not following 'covid appropriate behaviour', not wearing a mask has prompted the civic body to scale-up containment measures.
