BJP leader in Panvel was having a birthday bash before police crashed in

At a time when the political leadership is busy making fervent appeals to people to follow the lockdown norms to maintain social distancing, considered a key tool to contain the spread of coronavirus disease, a BJP corporator from Panvel was booked by the police for openly flouting the lockdown norms by throwing a birthday bash at his bungalow. The police have also booked ten others for attending the leader’s party.

The Panvel corporator Ajay Bahira, 42, a resident of Takka Village was found partying on the terrace of a three-storied bungalow ‘Shreyas Nivas’ on Friday night.

“We received a complaint that a party was ongoing at the bungalow following which we raided the house and found them celebrating without practicing social distancing and violating lockdown norms. They were booked and given a notice for the offence,” said Ajay Kumar Landge, senior inspector at Panvel city police station.

Police said Bahira was partying with five relatives and five other friends from his village. Others present at his party include a mutton shop owner, a vegetable shop owner, a chemist and an auto-rickshaw driver. None of them were wearing a mask as directed by the Panvel municipal corporation.

“We also seized a bottle of alcohol from the party,” added Landge.

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The corporator and his posse were booked under sections of the Indian Penal Code, The Epidemic Diseases Act, The Maharashtra COVID-19 Regulations, 2020, Disaster Management Act and relevant sections of Maharashtra Prohibition Act.