In Chennai, you may meet 'coronavirus' cop on road if you violate lockdown

In an innovative step, a policeman in Chennai has been creating awareness about the lockdown and the importance of staying home by wearing a helmet designed to look like the coronavirus.

A police officer said the idea was to do something different to create awareness among people and make them stay home. Reports suggest the helmet has been designed by a local artist, Gowtham.

“We had been talking to public. But awareness among them is very less. So we thought of doing something different. We designed a helmet that looks like coronavirus. We thought of doing something which will scare the people and make them stay at home,” Inspector Rajesh Babu told news agency ANI.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced a complete nationwide lockdown from Tuesday night in an effort to break the chain of transmission of the coronavirus pandemic that has so far claimed 19 lives in the country.

Police departments across the country, besides other government agencies, have been trying to enforce the lockdown as per the guidelines issued by the central and state governments.

Meanwhile, reports of police extremism have also come to the fore where the cops were seen “punishing” the lockdown violators. In several states, including Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka, police were seen making violators perform squats and frogs jumps as punishments. This besides lathi-charging in several places.

Besides, the police departments across the country have also taken steps to provide food and water to the homeless and migrant workers stranded on the roads.

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