Panic gripped K.R. Pet town in Mandya district after four youngsters, who reported contracted a COVID-19 infection, forcibly entered the town defying lockdown restrictions.
The incident occurred late on Wednesday and a massive search operation has been launched to trace the youngsters.
According to the personnel posted at Thendekere checkpoint on Mysuru-K.R. Pet main road, the youngsters came in an auto rickshaw. When they were stopped at the checkpoint, they showed seals stamped on their hands and said that they had contracted COVID-19.
The checkpoint personnel reportedly told the police that the youngsters threatened to spread the virus to others if they tried to prevent them from entering K.R. Pet, and disappeared soon by gaining forcible entry into the town.
The efforts of police and checkpoint men to chase the auto rickshaw did not yield any results, said the police.
The men in the auto rickshaw, aged between 17 and 21, had seals on hands. They might have been quarantined at some other place and have escaped from there, added the police.