Defamation case against Musician for claiming that BMC asked for a bribe to skip institutional quarantine

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has filed a defamation case against a musician and writer, who alleged that her brother was forced to quarantine after returning to Mumbai. The musician went on to upload a video on social media alleging a bribe was demanded by the officials from her brother who returned from Africa to dodge the quarantine.

The BMC registered an FIR against her brother for escaping from quarantine against safety rules and putting the safety of the city at stake. However, the names of the offenders have not been revealed in the FIR copy shared by BMC.

According to the passenger, he was introduced to the manager of the quarantine facility hotel near the airport by police where a bribe of INR 10,000 to skip the mandatory quarantine of seven days. He also alleged that hotel management confiscated his passport and offered to return only after he paid the bribe. But he left the hotel after an altercation with the management.

Clarifying its stand, the BMC took to Twitter and said no bribe was demanded to help the passenger dodge the quarantine. In fact, the passenger flouted the COVID-related protocols by running away from the facility. The civic body further stated, "CCTV footage reveals that no official came in direct contact with the passenger, which has been also confirmed by him in a telephonic conversation. Passports of the passengers are deposited with the hotel and are handed over to them after at the time of discharge, as per MCGM rules."

A musician/writer uploaded a video on social media alleging forced quarantine & bribe demand from her brother who returned form Africa.
A defamation case has been registered against her & an FIR against her brother for escaping from quarantine against safety rules.#MyBMCUpdates pic.twitter.com/ubfwPjuWhQ

— माझी Mumbai, आपली BMC (@mybmc) March 31, 2021

The BMC in March had updated its quarantine guidelines for international passengers arriving from Europe, the UK, the Middle East, South Africa, and Brazil.

One of the changes made to the guidelines is allowing positive or asymptomatic patients to be shifted to private hospitals while previously such cases were limited to designated isolation facilities. Officials said that these new guidelines are meant to enhance the city’s security with the new mutant variants of COVID-19 emerging out of Brazil, South Africa, and the UK.

Meanwhile, the BMC has given exemption from mandatory institutional quarantine to the passengers arriving in Mumbai from the UK, Europe, Middle East, South Africa and Brazil. Though this rule applies to those passengers who have received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.