Three people were arrested on Monday for having gathered at the Cochin International Airport late on Sunday evening to welcome reality TV show participant Rajith Kumar, despite warnings against public gatherings in the wake of COVID-19 crisis.
A case was filed on Monday morning against 79 people, including reality TV show Bigg Boss participant Rajith Kumar, to greet whom fans had gathered at the airport. The three arrested persons, identified as Nibhas, Muhammad Afsal and Pareekutty, were later released on bail. The Nedumbassery police said they were charged with unlawful assembly, rioting, disobeying orders of a public servant and causing danger to the public.
During a briefing in the city on Monday, Minister for Agriculture V.S. Sunil Kumar said Rajith Kumar was in hiding. “There will be more arrests. All those who participated in the gathering will be identified with CCTV footage and legal action will be taken against them.”
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In a Facebook post, District Collector S. Suhas wrote that at a time when the entire world was cautious about the infection and orders had been issued advising against gatherings, such an incident was shameful. Such acts that endanger the public reflect poorly on the society, he wrote.