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New Delhi: The popular Bengali Market was one of the first areas in Lutyens’ Delhi that was sealed by Delhi Police Wednesday after 35 workers were found living under “unhygienic conditions” on the rooftop of a pastry shop in alleged violation of all social distancing norms.

All the 35 workers were employed with the popular Bengali Pastry Shop and Snack Bar. Two of the workers were found unwell and have been taken for Covid-19 testing.

An FIR under Section 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of the IPC and under Epidemic Diseases Act was filed against the owner of the shop Thursday.

The shop has, however, denied any wrongdoing, saying it had only provided shelter to its workers who couldn’t go back to their native states after the sudden announcement of the lockdown.

In a statement posted on Twitter Thursday, the shop alleged “widespread defamation”. It said it was closed since 25 March, when the lockdown came into effect, and the “people who were living with us were taking shelter in our establishment since then as they could not go back to their respective hometowns due to the immediate lockdown”.

Also read: App for milk, vendors at the gate — how Delhi-NCR’s hotspots managed on Day 1 of ‘sealing’

All workers evacuated

Prahlad Singh, Station House Officer of Barakhamba police station, told ThePrint all the workers of the shop who had taken shelter on its terrace have been evacuated.

“All the workers, evacuated from the rooftop of the shop and the nearby areas who don’t have an accommodation of their own, are being shifted to a shelter camp located in R.K. Puram Sector 13,” he added.

The whole area surrounding the Bengali Market is being heavily sanitised both manually and with the help of machines.

When this reporter visited the market in the afternoon, as many as 30 sanitary personnel were seen around the pastry shop itself.

A government official said there are around 325 houses in the Bengali Market area with 2,000 people residing in them.

All adjoining areas sealed

The 35 workers were found living under “unhygienic conditions” and in small and confined spaces Wednesday when a team of New Delhi Municipal Council and Delhi Police was carrying out a door-to-door survey in the area to find Covid-19 suspects.

The survey was ordered after three people in the neighbourhood tested positive for Covid-19.

“Along with the Bengali Market area, adjoining areas such as Babar Road, Todarmal Road, Babar Lane have also been completely sealed with strict instructions being given to not step out at all as all the essential commodities will be provided to them at the doorsteps,” DCP, New Delhi, Eish Singhal, told ThePrint.

The Delhi government Wednesday announced sealing of 22 Covid-19 hotspots in the national capital, including the Bengali Market, to combat the spread of the virus.

Also read: Indian doctors are pessimistic and are bracing for a tsunami of coronavirus cases

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