18 men caught travelling in concrete mixer truck in MP’s Indore

Eighteen people were found travelling inside the tank of a concrete mixer truck by the police in Indore city of Madhya Pradesh, news agency ANI reported citing local officials, even as the Centre has allowed stranded people to go back to their homes.

The agency tweeted a 41-second video showing the men coming out of the tank one after the other as police officials looked on.

“They were travelling from Maharashtra to Lucknow. The truck has been sent to a police station and an FIR has been registered,” Umakant Chaudhary, the deputy superintendent of police, was quoted as saying by ANI.

The Union ministry of home affairs had on April 29 issued fresh guidelines for interstate movement to allow stranded migrant labourers, tourists and students to return to their homes.

However, the movement of migrants, tourists and students will be restricted to non-containment zones.

MHA had said the new guidelines will come into effect from May 4, “which shall give considerable relaxation to many districts.” The guidelines said all stranded people can go back home after undergoing strict medical screening both at the source and destination cities.

States must also organise thermal testing units and quarantine facilities for all those who are stranded, in order to clear asymptomatic cases, before sending them back. They must also arrange for sanitised buses for transportation, it said.

Reports of people travelling on foot and cycles, boats and ambulances have poured in from across the country since March when Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the nation-wide lockdown to stop the spread of Covid-19. It has been extended twice and till May 17 now.

Many have even died while travelling long distances.