Sampathkumar Gang Violates Epidemic Diseases Act to Spread Coronavirus in Delhi

A criminal gang that operates in Delhi has blatantly violated the Epidemic Diseases Act to endanger the lives of hundreds of residents with an illegal construction activity.

May 25, 2020

By Rakesh Raman

While coronavirus (Covid-19) infection is killing people in almost every street of Delhi, a notorious gang that operates under the title of S-Gang has started an infection-prone construction project in a housing society of the city.

Led by M.N. Sampathkumar (pictured) – who claims to be a former employee of Air India – the S-Gang has endangered the lives of hundreds of men, women, and children who live in the DPS CGHS, Dwarka, Sector 4, New Delhi society building.

Now, a number of construction workers visit the walled housing society every day to carry out construction work. These workers who come from outside neither wear face masks nor do they observe social-distancing guidelines while working from morning to evening. 

They are also not being tested for coronavirus before allowing them to enter the building. Obviously, they can bring the virus from outside and spread it in the building among the residents. 

Since the S-Gang is extorting crores of rupees from the residents for this construction project which will run for years in the occupied housing society, it has decided to continue construction while the residents are facing the risk of coronavirus infection from the construction workers.

It is learnt that coronavirus has already infected the people in the DPS CGHS building, as a man died in mysterious circumstances in March 2020 and a few workers are suffering from the disease. If the construction is not stopped immediately, more deaths are expected to take place.

Since the Delhi Government headed by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal is hiding the number of deaths from coronavirus, it is not recording the number of Covid cases and deaths truthfully while thousands of people are dying from the disease in the city. This may be among the reasons that the cause of death at DPS CGHS is not being revealed.

GANG MEMBERS AND COVID CRIMES

The S-Gang – comprising gang members Sampathkumar, Shukla, Vaish, Bala, Swami, Taneja, Tyagi, Naseem, and Dua – is forcing the residents to pay for the harmful construction and stay quiet.

The S-Gang members threaten the residents who try to complain against their criminal activities. Their threats to the residents include false police complaints against them, false legal cases, and threats to grab their flats with expulsion notices.

They are colluding with government officials who are usually bribed to ignore their crimes. The S-Gang members have also roped in a slew of construction and other companies, including Vivek & Arti Architects, Om Star Constructions, Design N Design Architects, Team Professional Consultant, and others who are involved in the illegal construction activity at DPS CGHS. 

While undertaking the illegal construction activity in the housing society, the S-Gang members are blatantly violating the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, which has been enforced across the country from March 2020 in order to limit the spread of coronavirus disease during the COVID-19 pandemic in India.

Section 2 of the Act states the following:

Power to take special measures and prescribe regulations as to dangerous epidemic disease

(1) When at any time the [State Government] is satisfied that [the State] or any part thereof is visited by, or threatened with, an outbreak of any dangerous epidemic disease, the [State Government], if [it] thinks that the ordinary provisions of the law for the time being in force are insufficient for the purpose, may take, or require or empower any person to take, such measures and, by public notice, prescribe such temporary regulations to be observed by the public or by any person or class of persons as [it] shall deem necessary to prevent the outbreak of such disease or the spread thereof, and may determine in what manner and by whom any expenses incurred (including compensation if any) shall be defrayed.

Penalty

Any person disobeying any regulation or order made under this Act shall be deemed to have committed an offence punishable under Section 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code IPC (45 of 1860).

According to the law, if such disobedience causes or tends to cause danger to human life, health or safety, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees, or with both.

It is not necessary that the offender should intend to produce harm, or contemplate his / her disobedience as likely to produce harm. It is sufficient that he / she knows of the order which he / she disobeys, and that his disobedience produces, or is likely to produce, harm.

RANGE OF S-GANG CRIMES 

The S-Gang members have been committing a range of more crimes for which they are already facing inquiries ordered by the law-enforcement agencies. The gang’s criminal activities include corruption, fraud, cheating, extortion, bribery, intimidation, sale of illegal car parking space, property grabbing, underhand dealings with vendors, and other crimes.

As a journalist and social activist, I have been complaining with circumstantial as well as documentary evidence about Sampathkumar’s increasing crimes in Delhi. In response to my complaints, the law-enforcement agencies have started a slew of investigations against Sampathkumar and his gang.

In order to avoid the investigations, it was learnt that Sampathkumar has been planning to run away like a fugitive. Therefore, the government must get a “Red Notice” issued against Sampathkumar (resident of Flat No. 151, DPS CGHS, Plot No. 16, Sector 4, Dwarka, New Delhi 110 078, India) and his gang members. 

The S-Gang members and the companies that they have hired for illegal construction must also be prosecuted and punished under the Epidemic Diseases Act and other statutes of IPC.

Note: In order to intimidate and silence me, Sampathkumar and his gang members have been issuing a number of threats to me. Their threats to me include false police complaints against me, threats of physical harm to me, expulsion notices, legal notices, and slanderous attacks on my social as well as professional status.They are also colluding with the corrupt government officials by apparently bribing them to get me harmed.

This report will also be published in the “Covid Health Bulletin” magazine that covers global coronavirus news including the crime and corruption cases happening under the garb of the Covid pandemic.

By Rakesh Raman, who is a national award-winning journalist and social activist. He is the founder of a humanitarian organization RMN Foundation which is working in diverse areas to help the disadvantaged and distressed people in the society. He also creates and publishes a number of digital publications and research reports on different subjects. These publications include the “Covid Health Bulletin” that covers global coronavirus news and views.