Hyderabad: Lockdown rules defied brazenly at Charminar

Charminar: Amidst the lockdown, it was observed that besides shops selling essentials, hotels and abutting pan-shops were running from back doors in parts of Old city.

Cigarettes and pans were being sold at much higher rates. A cigarette with a price tag of Rs 10 was sold at double the price and pan which used to be sold for Rs 5 was being sold at Rs 10 in these shops. Each item was being sold with a hike of Rs 10 to Rs 20.

Some of the customers near pan shops said that the shopkeepers were not ready to sell the whole packet of cigarettes and were instead selling maximum 2 or 3 pieces. Every transportation including autos, metro, buses etc. had been officially shutdown elsewhere, but in Old City the autos were seen operating. However, on coming to know of this, traffic police jumped into action. "The autos which were running on roads while picking up passengers were seized. We also checked their pending challans and warned them not to ride," said the Charminar Assistant Sub-Inspector.

At many places, youth were seen loitering on roads. Police asked them to act as volunteers to create awareness among the public about COVID-19, by holding placards – as a punishment.