COPS BOOKS 700 PEOPLE IN TAMIL NADU FOR BURSTING CRACKERS OUTSIDE STIPULATED TIME

Last week, the Supreme Court ordered restrictions on bursting firecrackers outside a stipulated time on Diwali. As the southern states celebrated Diwali yesterday, the Tamil Nadu police was seen on a major crackdown against violators.

According to a Mirror Now report quoting sources, 622 cases were registered against 700 persons by the police for bursting firecrackers outside the time slot fixed by the state government.

As per a report in The News Minute, in the Villupuram district, 80 people were booked for bursting crackers-highest in the state so far. Virudhunagar police booked 40 people, 30 people were booked in Coimbatore, 20 people were booked in Dindigul, 11 booked in Madurai, 10 booked in Cuddalore. Followed by six in Tirunelveli, two in Chennai and one in each Namakkal and Nagercoil.

Reportedly, the police have booked the violators under the Sections 291(Continuance of nuisance after injunction to discontinue), and 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 268 (public nuisance) of the Indian Penal Code. However, in some districts, only FIR's were lodged against the accused and they were soon let out on bail.

The Tamil Nadu government on November 2 announced that fireworks can be burst only between 6-7 am and 7-8 pm for the occasion of Diwali.