Bengaluru: A week-long institutional quarantine will have to be undergone by paassengers arriving by domestic flights in Karnataka from seven particular states, including Maharashtra, Delhi and Tamil Nadu, where COVID-19 cases are high, the state government has said.

A day ahead of resumption of the services in the country amid the COVID-19 lockdown, the state government on Sunday issued an order deleting domestic air travel from the list of prohibited activities with effect from Monday and allowed unhindered movement of passengers, airport staff and the crew even during the curfew period.

The airport administration on its part said it would ensure taxis that would be used by passengers were sanitised and drivers screened before every trip to eliminate all chances of infection. Face mask will be mandatory for both passengers and drivers for taxi travel.

"Incoming domestic flight passengers from Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Delhi, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Delhi & Madhya Pradesh will undergo 7 day institutional Quarantine followed by home quarantine," Karnataka Director General of Police Praveen Sood tweeted.

In view of the resumption of domestic flights, the Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), which operates the Kempegowda International Airport here, on Sunday said it has put in place heightened sanitisation measures to ensure that taxi journey from the airport was healthy and safe.

"With passenger and driver safety being one of the major priorities, BIAL will ensure that the taxis are sanitised and the drivers are screened before every trip to eliminate all chances of infection," it said in a statement.

The company said the drivers have been instructed to maintain a safe distance.They will be encouraged to use hand sanitiser and face masks to make the car a safe space.

It appealed to the able-bodied passengers to load their luggage into the car without driver assistance. However, for elderly citizens and passengers with reduced mobility, drivers will assist while following hygiene measures.

It has made it clear that the masks are mandatory for both drivers of taxis as well as passengers.

In addition to it, staff who manage taxi services at airport, including Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC), Ola, Uber and other car rental operators, will be screened.

"Drivers will be screened before arriving at the airport pick-up zone to ensure passenger safety; they will be de- rostered if a fever is detected. Penalties will be levied for spitting in public," the BIAL said.

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Bhopal (PTI): Police have registered a case against seven persons and arrested three of them for allegedly kidnapping, assaulting and urinating on a 22-year-old man in Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal, officials said on Thursday.

The incident occurred during the intervening night of April 26 and 27 in an area located under the Hanumanganj police station limits, an official said.

One of the accused urinated on the face of the victim and captured a video of the act, which was later circulated on social media to humiliate him, he said.

"A complaint in this connection was lodged by Jaswant Markam (22), a resident of Kamla Nagar, based on which a case was registered against seven persons under sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and police have arrested three of them, including one Prem Thapa," Bhopal Police Commissioner Sanjay Kumar said.

Three police teams have been formed and the remaining suspects will be apprehended soon, he said.

During the intervening night of Sunday and Monday, Markam was at the local bus stand with a friend when around 4 am, the accused took him away on the pretext of discussing something with him. They asked him about his neighbour and friend Aniket. When he refused to provide any information, they started assaulting him, the police said.

The accused then took him to a forest in Karond area, where he was stripped and severely thrashed, they said.

When the man began to lose consciousness, one of the accused urinated on his face and made a video of the act, which was circulated on social media to humiliate him and spread terror, according to the police.

The accused called Markam's friend around 5 am to inform him about his condition. The victim was subsequently admitted to a hospital, the officials said, adding that the viral video was also being investigated.

Responding to a query, Hanumanganj police station in-charge Awdhesh Bhadoria said if the victim was found to be from the tribal community, then relevant sections will be invoked against the accused.

At present, the police are probing the incident and search is on to arrest the remaining accused, he added.

In 2023, a man had urinated on a tribal youth in Sidhi district of Madhya Pradesh. A video of the incident had gone viral on social media platforms and created a controversy.