Back To School? Foreigners Made To Write 'Sorry' 500 Times For Violating Lockdown In Rishikesh

As a punishment by the police - one which may remind many of their school days - a group of foreigners was made to write 'sorry' 500 times, for taking a stroll during the lockdown, in Rishikesh on Saturday.

Ten foreigners from different countries were caught taking a stroll in the Tapovan area here, amid the ongoing 21-day lockdown to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, and not maintaining social distancing, Sub-Inspector Vinod Kumar Sharma told news agency PTI.

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Each one of them was made to write an apology 500 times, as a punishment, he added.

"I did not follow the rules of lockdown so I am so sorry," each one of them wrote 500 times, Sharma said.

10 foreigners made to write 'sorry' 500 times each for flouting #lockdown guidelines in Uttarakhand's Rishikesh: Police. #COVID__19

¡ª Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 11, 2020

10 foreign nationals caught taking a stroll along the banks of the Ganga in Rishikesh, were made to write "I am sorry" 500 times by the police for flouting the nationwide lockdown. pic.twitter.com/U149rwghUS

¡ª Suresh Upadhyay (@SureshNBT) April 11, 2020

Foreigners living in Tapovan, Rishikesh were overshadowed by the #Lockdownviolation. The police sentenced all foreigners roaming outside to write and speak I am sorry 500 times. @AboutIndia @narendramodi @PhilippaKaye @alter_jamie @BBCsarika @viceindia #rishikesh pic.twitter.com/QCFMYAWDcm

¡ª RW ? Rishikesh Writings (@RwRishikesh) April 11, 2020

Around 500 foreigners are staying in the Tapovan area these days and they are often seen violating the lockdown rules, throwing caution to the wind, he added.

The operation to penalise them was conducted to send out a strong message to those who tend to take the lockdown lightly, Sharma said.