Seventeen foreign tourists have been charged for allegedly bathing in the sea off the famous Kovalam Beach in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram in violation of lockdown regulations.
The police said cases have also been registered against the owners and managers of five hotels where the tourists are staying since March 22 due to the lockdown.
The tourists who hailed from various countries, including UK, Canada and France, had taken a bath in the sea on Tuesday despite orders banning such activities, reported news agency PTI.
Cases have been registered against them under the Kerala Epidemic Act and Indian Penal Code IPC section 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and section 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease).
This comes just a few days after a group of foreigners was made to write "sorry" for flouting lockdown in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand.
Police officials in Uttarakhand's Rishikesh made ten foreign nationals write 'I didn't follow lockdown rules. I am sorry' 500 times as a punishment for violating the lockdown guidelines amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.
These foreign nationals were caught strolling along the banks of the river Ganga in the city.
"When I caught them strolling, they said they are not violating guidelines as they are out during the relaxation period. So, I told them that the relaxation period is only to buy essentials and not to roam around," police official Vinod Kumar told news agency ANI.
Later, the foreign nationals were asked to leave and stay at home.