Maharashtra: 200 Covidiots picked up from Wada resort

Guests at Anchaviyo resort on the bank of Vaitarna river on Thursday evening. Pics/Hanif Patel

A late evening raid was carried out at a resort in Wada of Palghar district where around 200 people were allegedly found flouting the ‘Break the Chain' order of the government of Maharashtra. An official told mid-day that it was a "mehndi" ceremony of a couple for which the place, Anchaviyo resort, had been booked.

The police have also slapped a fine of Rs 50,000 on the parents of the bride and groom, said a source. The raid followed a call to the police from the collector.

"The resort is located in a remote corner on the bank of Vaitarna river and is not easily visible. But we alerted the collector and tehsildar and then the police swung into action. More than 200 people had gathered there and the arrangement for around 500 chairs was being made when the police reached there late evening on Thursday," the source added.

The sub-divisional police officer Prashant Pardeshi of Jawhar Taluka told mid-day, "We had received information about the gathering of guests at Anchaviyo resort in Wada. When our team visited the spot on Thursday night, they found many people celebrating the mehndi function."

The groom's family lives in Boisar whereas the bride's family had come to the resort from Girgaum. "We have booked the fathers of the bride and the groom for flouting COVID rules and ‘Breaking the Chain' norms as they had invited guests to gather amid the pandemic. We have also sealed the resort until the threat of the pandemic subsides," added Pardeshi.