COVID-19: Groom's father fined Rs 50,000 after video of marriage procession in Odisha goes viral

By Lokmat English Desk | Published: July 7, 2020 12:09 PM2020-07-07T12:09:51+5:302020-07-07T12:09:51+5:30

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The Ganjam district administration in Odisha imposed a penalty of ₹50,000 on both the bride and the groom’s families conducting a marriage procession while violating social distancing norms and not wearing masks.

The father of a groom and his brother were arrested on Saturday in Odisha's Ganjam district, a COVID-19 hotspot, for violating safety protocols during the marriage function, police said.

The groom's father and his brother have been held, SP (Berhampur) Pinak Mishra said.

The incident came to the fore after a video surfaced, in which guests were seen without masks and dancing close to each other at the marriage procession, and many holding hands.

According to the state government's COVID-19 guidelines, a maximum of 50 people can participate in a marriage function, while strictly adhering to social distancing norms and wearing masks

Sources said a well-known hotelier in the town had obtained permission from the authorities for his son's marriage at a hotel at Gopalpur-on-Sea on July 2.

The hotel has reportedly been sealed for seven days, they said.

As part of containment measures, the Ganjam district administration has also prohibited the movement of people from rural areas to towns.

The district has reported 2,066 COVID-19 cases so far, and it also tops the list of fatalities with 20 people succumbing to the disease. Odisha's coronavirus death toll stands at 34.