Bollywood singer Kanika Kapoor who returned from London, attended several gatherings here and tested positive for coronavirus, has been booked for negligence and disobedience to the order issued by a public servant in Uttar Pradesh, an official said.
The FIR was registered against at Sarojini Nagar police station on the complaint of the Lucknow Chief Medical Officer (CMO), said Police Commissioner Sujeet Pandey.
"An FIR was lodged at the Sarojini Nagar police station under IPC Sections 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease danger ous to life), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant)," he told PTI.
However, the Lucknow district administration came under fire after police initially lodged the FIR with some errors in haste.
As per the FIR, the CMO claimed that Kanika had returned to Lucknow from London on March 14. The same day she tested positive for coronavirus at the airport and was asked to go for home quarantine. But despite that she freely attended parties and mingled with a large number of people. However, people of the city later came down heavily on the administration and counterclaimed that the singer had returned on March 11.
By Kanika’s own admission, she came back to the city on March 11, was screened but “no problem was detected”. She has also said that she was unaware that she is carrying the novel coronavirus. In an Instagram post from March 20, Kanika said that she had developed symptoms only in the last four days.
However, Sujeet said in a statement issued to the media has maintained that Kanika had returned from London on March 14 and not on March 11.
Airport sources have said that there may be a facility for thermal screening, but there is no coronavirus screening facility at the airport.
Following the confirmation that Kanika is a patient of COVID-19, several politicians including BJP leader Vasundhra Raje, former Rajasthan Chief Minister Dushyant Singh, congress leader Jatin Prasad and many others have gone into self-quarantine as they had attended the parties and gatherings of which Kanika was a part. President Ram Nath Kovind, who Dushyant had met later, has also cancelled all government appointments and has isolated himself. He will be tested for COVID-19 on Saturday (March 21).
Two more FIRs are likely to be filed against the singer at the Hazratganj and Gomtinagar police stations as she had visited at least three gatherings in the areas falling under their jurisdiction.
(With PTI and IANS inputs)