Defying lockdown, hundreds attend Kalaburagi temple festival; police register FIR

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Bengaluru: Amid the national lockdown put in place to combat the coronavirus pandemics, hundreds of people turned out in crowds in the Siddhalingeswara temple chariot festival in Chitapur village on Thursday (April 16). The gathering for the festival took place despite the lockdown and a ban on rituals or event of any kind.

A case has been registered against 20 people including the temple management under Sections 188, 143 and 269 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and further investigation is going to ascertain more details related to the religious gathering. A sub-inspector has also been suspended because of the gathering.

"Today at 6.30 am, around 100-150 people had come near Siddalingeshwara temple for about 20 minutes and took part in chariot pulling procession," Superintendent of Police Lada Martin told ANI.

Meanwhile, the police is investigating whether it was the temple committee that held the religious gathering or others who decided to go ahead with the rituals despite the ban enforced by the government.

Kalaburagi is a hotspot zone in Karanataka as the district has recorded 17 positive cases of coronavirus including three deaths. 

Meanwhile, Karnataka reported its 13th COVID-19 death on April 16 while 36 people tested positive, the highest single-day tally so far, taking the total number of infections in the state to 315, the health department said.