The Mumbai police on Saturday said the rumours about a curfew imposed in the city were false and appealed to people not to panic.

The police have imposed section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) from December 3 to 17 to prevent unlawful gatherings and rallies.

Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Vishwas Nangre Patil clarified that this was not a curfew and the move is taken routinely to ensure peace in the city and avoid disruptions in public order.

The rumours that a curfew has been imposed in the city are false and are creating misunderstanding among people, Nangre Patil said in a video message.

''I want to clarify that the order is imposed every 15 days to check on people taking out rallies without police permission and trying to disrupt law and order," the senior official said.

Section 144 does not have any connection to daily life. Schools, colleges, theatres, political functions, and other events are not affected by such an order, he said, urging people not to spread rumours about it.

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