India cops make tourists write sorry 500 times for lockdown violation
An Indian police officer keeps watch from atop a building over Dharavi, one of Asia's largest slums, during lockdown to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus in Mumbai, India, Thursday, April 9, 2020. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, but for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool) An Indian police officer keeps watch from atop a building over Dharavi, one of Asia's largest slums, during lockdown to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus in Mumbai, India, Thursday, April 9, 2020. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, but for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)
New Delhi - Ten foreign tourists taking a stroll in a northern
Indian town in violation of the coronavirus lockdown were forced to
write an apology 500 times, police said Monday.
India declared a 21-day nationwide lockdown that took effect on March
25 with people permitted to leave their homes only to get essential
items and medicine.
The tourists, reportedly from the United States, Australia, Mexico
and Israel were caught taking a walk on the banks of the Ganges River
in Rishikesh over the weekend.
In footage broadcast on several news channels, police officer Vinod
Kumar Sharma is seen handing out the unusual punishment to tourists.
"They were each made to write 'I did not follow the lockdown rules, I
am very sorry' 500 times," local police officer Vinod Sharma said by
phone.
"They are guests of our country but are repeatedly breaking the rules
by loitering," he said, adding that there were about 600 tourists in
Rishikesh, a Hindu temple town known for its spiritual and yoga
retreats.
Indian police have resorted to unusual ways of dealing with those who
break lockdown rules. These include scaring the violators by wearing
coronavirus-shaped helmets, making them do squats or threatening to
confine them in a room and playing Bollywood songs on loop.
India, which is set to extend the lockdown until April 30, has seen a
total of 9,152 coronavirus cases, including 308 deaths.