Kerala Youth Held for Defying Lockdown Orders, Went to Meet Astrologer to Find Solution to Get Rid of ‘Bad Times’

Thiruvananthapuram: While several people in India have moulded themselves as per the strict guidelines of 21-day nationwide lockdown enforced by the central and states governments to curb the spread of coronavirus, but there are few who are still battling to get the habit of staying indoors and looking for some strange ideas to escape from such a testing period.

In modern times, you may believe in astrological predictions or not, but there is a youth in Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram who has assert his faith on an astrologer whom he believes can help him to escape from ongoing “bad times”, referring to nationwide lockdown, which is delaying his marriage.

The youth, who lives in a village near Kattakkada, a hilly town close to Tamil Nadu border nearly 20 kilometres east of the state capital, was on his way on his two-wheeler on Wednesday afternoon, to meet the astrologer but had to pay a fine to the police for violating lockdown rules.

Even after wearing a face mask, the youth was caught for not having a helmet while driving and also for violating the lockdown guidelines. A patrolling team led by Circle Inspector D Biju Kumar stopped him when he reached Kattakakda junction.

"Going to meet an astrologer to find a solution as my marriage is getting delayed due to bad times," said the youth when asked about the purpose of his visit during the nationwide lockdown period.

"Don't you know that there is a lockdown across the country?" the officer asked to which the youth answered, “Wanted to meet the astrologer to find a solution.”

With an intent to take the youth into custody, the police fooled him by saying that there is another good astrologer nearby who would help him in finding a solution. The youth could not understand this and went away with the police to the suggested place. Later, the youth realised that he was escorted to the nearby police station and taken into custody for violating the lockdown norms.

A case was filed against him for defying the government orders regarding lockdown and had to pay a fine for not wearing a helmet.

“A total of 14 cases were registered here on Wednesday against those defied the lockdown order, including the said youth. Their vehicles were also seized," the police said.