Migrant workers on bicycle expedition, 22 quarantined

A bicycle expedition of 15 migrant workers, on their way to Bihar, has ended in a quarantined shelter in Firozabad district of Uttar Pradesh.

The migrant workers had started their journey from Gurugram and were travelling to their homes in Bihar when they were intercepted by the police in Firozabad on Sunday.

According to Narkhi police, the 15 workers cycled to Firozabad while seven others walked and took ride from Bharatpur in order to reach home.

All the 22 have been booked under IPC section 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) for violating the lockdown.

Vinod Kumar, station house officer (SHO) of Narkhi, said, “The 22 men violated CrPc 144. Riding bicycle or walking towards home from one state to another is not an act of bravery but stupidity. All the state governments and district administrations are providing food, shelter to those who are in need. These migrant workers should have contacted the local authorities for food and shelter instead of undertaking the journey.”

“We have quarantined everyone in Firozabad and will provide them food and all the necessary help. A medical test too has been conducted on all of them,” he added.

Meanwhile, one of the workers Jageshwar Yadav of Bihar, told local reporters before they were quarantined that, “Since we had no money or food during our stay in Gurugram, we decided to leave for our village in Bihar on bicycle. There was no one to help us there.”