FIR lodged against singer Kanika Kapoor for negligence, producer Tanuj Garg comes out in support

A First Information Report (FIR) has been launched against singer Kanika Kapoor by the Lucknow police for alleged negligence in the wake of the growing coronavirus pandemic.

According to a report in the newspaper Hindustan Times, Sujeet Pandey, the commissioner of Lucknow police, confirmed that she was booked under sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), and 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at the Sarojini Nagar police station. The complaint was filed by the Lucknow chief medical officer. 

Kapoor returned from London, England earlier this month, but reportedly didn’t go into quarantine herself or go in for a check-up. She attended three parties where she came into contact with several people including VIPs and top politicians like Vasundhara Raje and her son Dushyant Singh.

Later, Raje and Singh attended an event organized at the Rashtrapati Bhavan which was attended by the president of India Ram Nath Kovind and various other politicians. The mother-son duo have self-quarantined themselves and so have other leaders like Derek O’Brien and Anupriya Patel who came in contact with them. 

Yesterday, Kapoor put an update on her Instagram page that she had tested positive for coronavirus. The singer and her family are in isolation at a Lucknow hospital. 

The report also stated that two more FIRs are likely to be registered against Kapoor at Hazratganj and Gomtinagar police stations for the three different gatherings she attended after returning from London. 

Meanwhile, producer Tanuj Garg has come out in support of Kapoor. He told the website ETimes.com, “Anxiety and fear levels are really high at the moment and I can see why anger is being heaped on Kanika Kapoor. I agree that restraint and precaution on her part would have been correct, but she's not the type to have done this intentionally. On developing symptoms, she called the local hospital voluntarily to get herself tested.”

Garg added that we should develop sympathy towards her instead of demonising her. “Instead of ostracizing people, let's pray instead that Kanika and whoever she came in contact within Lucknow, recover speedily! Hopefully this will also be a trigger for people to be doubly careful,” he added.