Don’t have Aarogya Setu? You may be booked: Noida police

Shikha Salaria | TNN | Updated: May 5, 2020, 07:30 IST

The police said that people crossing the borders would be randomly checked for the application on their phones

NOIDA: Police in Noida have issued an order asking residents to download the Aarogya Setu app on their smartphones, saying not having the app would amount to violation of lockdown rules and can be punishable under relevant sections.
The police have said people out on streets would be randomly checked for the app on their phones. They haven’t quite clarified what they plan to do if a person does not have a smartphone. One could also step out without a phone. For those who do not have smartphones, a police officer said “they obviously can’t be forced to buy one”.
In the order extending the restrictions under Section 144 of the CrPC till May 17, additional DCP (law and order) Ashutosh Dwiwedi said, “If smartphone users don’t have the Aarogya Setu app on their phones, it would amount to lockdown violation. Hence, it will be punishable.”
Available in 12 languages, Aarogya Setu requires a user to enter personal details, including recent travel history, while downloading it. It also asks if the user has been showing any symptoms of the virus, like fever and breathing problems, while filling in the details. The app then examines the answers and rates if the user poses a potential threat to others in his vicinity.
The app has, however, stoked political controversy as it uses the phone’s Bluetooth and GPS to let users and the local administration know if a person has come in contact with a Covid patient. What has aroused security concern is that the account cannot be de-registered even if the app is uninstalled.
ACP (law and order) Akhilesh Singh said though it was not possible to check each and every person travelling on the road, they were planning to conduct random checks at the borders. “The UP government has already directed all its departments and private companies to ensure employees have downloaded the app. Most have done so, but in case some are remaining, they should do at the earliest. We’ll conduct random checks at borders on DND, Chilla, etc. Cops will make sure people without the app download it,” he added.
Police sources said those without the app can also be booked under Section 188 of the IPC (disobedience of order promulgated by public servant), under which a person can be jailed for up to six months.
Shruti Rai, a software engineer with a Noida firm, said she had downloaded the app about a week ago. “It had questions like whether I had fever, bodyache or other symptoms. I deleted it two days ago after I read somewhere about the controversy surrounding it,” she said. Bhawna, a Sector 20 resident, said she was unaware about the app and had not downloaded it so far.