Section 144 imposed in Maharashtra for 15 days

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray announced on Tuesday night that prohibitory orders under Section 144 would be imposed across the state from Wednesday at 8pm onwards. He urged people to follow a ‘janata curfew’ and stay indoors voluntarily. This order will be in place for 15 days. 

Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) prohibits the assembly of five people and above in public.

From 7 am to 8 pm, only essential services will be allowed to operate, including delivery workers. While public transport will continue, it should be only used for essential services. Hospitals, doctors, medical stores, those involved in the vaccination drive, mask manufacturers, etc., can continue to function. Additionally, those in agriculture, warehousing, those involved in work in preparation for the monsoon, e-commerce, journalists, petrol pumps and data centres can remain open.

Restaurants and road-side stalls will be allowed to open only for takeaways.  

Maharashtra had already announced weekend curfews in the state, with no movement allowed aside from essential services. The weekend lockdown will continue till April 30 and is in place from 8 pm on Friday to 7 am on Monday. A night curfew is also already being enforced in the state.