Chandigarh, April 27: The gambling and hookah parties organised by two men in Punjab's Rajpura, after the lockdown came into force, has turned the town into a "COVID-19 hotspot". The violation of lockdown is also being linked to the latest spurt recorded in coronavirus cases across Patiala district. The duo were booked by the police after a preliminary contact-tracing found that most of the new cases are linked to the illicit get-togethers organised by them in violation of the lockdown.

The district health department confirmed that 18 new persons were tested positive alone on Wednesday, whereas, the tally went up to 30 on Thursday. A total of 47 out of the 49 cases recorded in Patiala district so far have propped up in the past week. Baldev Singh Case: One Man Takes COVID-19 to Six Punjab Districts, Over 20,000 Villagers in Quarantine.

Within a span of five days, several containment zones have were declared in the district which was so far considered to be relatively less-affected by the contagious disease.

The two men - identified as Krishna and Balraj by the Patiala Police - will face stringent action after they recover from the disease, an official said. They are accused of organising hookah and gambling parties on near-daily basis at an empty plot in near Anaj Mandi in Rajpura, located nearly 26 km away from Patiala city, he added. Both of them were also detected with COVID-19 last week.

The parties, according to the sources cited in a report, were attended by influential persons including businessmen, satta operators, local leaders and "even medical professionals". Patiala SSP Mandeep Singh Sidhu, while speaking to reporters, claimed that Rajpura SMO wrote a letter alleging irresponsible movement amid lockdown by those recently tested positive for coronavirus.

An FIR was registered against the two men who organised the illicit parties and violated the lockdown. It could not be confirmed how they were infected but the police officials claimed that the two of them had gone for an outstation visit before organising the hookah and gambling parties amid the lockdown.

They have been booked under IPC sections 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others), 271 (disobedience to quarantine rule) 188 (disobedience to order promulgated by a public servant) and 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others), 271 (disobedience to quarantine rule) and 188 (disobedience to order promulgated by a public servant), along with provisions of the Epidemic Diseases Act.

Across Punjab, the tally of coronavirus cases has surged to 298, including 67 persons discharged and 17 patients who have succumbed to death. Nationwide, the toll of COVID-19 cases crossed the 27,000-mark on Monday, with a spurt of 1,396 cases in the last 24 hours. The death count had reached 872.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 27, 2020 09:08 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).