Groom's family has been fined over Rs 6 lakh for violating coronavirus safety rules. (Representational)
A wedding in Rajasthan's Bhilwara has produced unexpected costs for the groom's family, which has been fined over Rs 6 lakh for violating coronavirus safety rules during the event, leading to 16 people getting infected and one death.
Besides a fine of Rs 6.26 lakh, the groom's family has been order to pay for the treatment of 15 infected people - one person died -- the quarantine of 58 more guests, their food, the services at an isolation ward, virus tests and the use of ambulance by the infected people. The government will extract the cost from the groom's family.
The lavish wedding was held on June 13 in Bhilwara's Bhadada area. The groom's father, a fairly well-known businessman in the town, had pledged to follow all safety protocols during his son's wedding - masks, sanitisers and social distance.
The district administration learnt on June 19 that one of the guests had tested positive for coronavirus. When contact tracing was done, it was discovered that 16 people including the bride, groom and the groom's father and grandfather were infected. The grandfather eventually died.
Fifty-eight wedding guests had to be quarantined at government facilities.
Three functions were reportedly held during the wedding and the guest list allegedly ran to over a 1,000 when such events cannot have more than 50 guests.
Taking serious note of the case, the Bhilwara district collector fined the groom's family. An FIR accuses the family for violating guidelines in defiance of safety protocols under the Rajasthan Epidemic Diseases and the National disaster Management Act.
Bhilwara has been in the news for more positive reasons. The city has been praised for its strategy of effective containment of virus hotspots.