The Panchmahals police booked 32 people for pelting stones at a police team that had come to seal a containment zone in Godhra town on Thursday night. One police-sub inspector was reportedly injured. Seven people, including two women, were detained from the spot who are now admitted at a quarantine facility as their results for COVID-19 are awaited. police said the team had gone to Guhya mohalla to barricade and seal the entry and exit points after it was declared a containment zone. On Thursday, three wards - three, six and nine - were declared containment zones. Guhya mohalla is adjacent to Polan Bazaar, which has five active cases of COVID-19. “When the team reached there to cordon off the area as part of the containment strategy, one person started instigating the residents. Women came out in the lane and raised an alarm by banging utensils. They also started gathering people. When the police tried to stop them, residents started pelting stones,” Leena Patil, Superintendent of Police, Panchmahal district, said. “Five tear gas shells were lobbed to contain the situation. Those detained have been sent to the quarantine facility after they were tested for COVID-19 as per protocols. After their test results come, we will make formal arrests. Everybody else has fled from the locality,” Patil added. The accused were booked under IPC sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (Voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 148 (Rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 353 (Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 269 (Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), 270 (Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and under relevant sections of the Disaster Management Act and the Epidemic Diseases Act.
