Journalist violates lockdown, booked for carrying 32 liquor bottles

Hyderabad: A journalist and his two relatives were booked by the Bolarum police, Secunderabad for defying lockdown norms and carrying liquor bottles in his car.

According to Bolarum police, the journalist Venugopal Reddy was held on April 11th afternoon while travelling in his Verna car registered TS08 GN2525. He was stopped by police at the Bolarum checkpost as he was travelling with his relatives Ranga Reddy and Sunil Reddy violating the 2 occupant’s norm applicable during the lockdown. A search by the police at the post found they were carrying liquor bottles.

Bolarum inspector P. Ramesh Reddy said, “They said they are carrying liquor bottles bought before the lockdown was imposed to their in-laws house. We are verifying the claim they were bought for a function which was to be held, but was cancelled later. We are investigating if the claim is true.”

The inspector added that the car and liquor bottles have been seized and an FIR has been registered against the three under Section 34(A) of the Excise Act, Section 188 (Disobedience to Order Promulgated by Public Servant), Section 269 and 270 (negligent Act which can spread infection) of the Indian Penal Code.

Further investigations are underway, the police official said.

A search for the car number in the e-challan website of Telangana, shows that the owner Venugopal Reddy has to pay a fine of Rs 10,615. Challans have also been issued by the police for using tinted glass for the car and over speeding.