Police have registered an FIR against the 40-year-old Chola Hotel in Lower Chutia for lockdown violation.

A resident of the area informed the police.

“Food, including snacks, was being sold from the rear gate of the hotel and several people flocked there to buy them like usual days. This is not allowed during the lockdown,” the resident said.

The police lodged the FIR on Thursday night.

“The hotel owner is Dhaneshwar Ahir a.k.a Dhania and the hotel manager is Ajit Ahir. Both are residents of Ayodhyapuri that falls under the jurisdiction of Chutia police. Thus they have been named in the FIR. As the hotel is very old, the news of the FIR spread like wildfire in the locality,” the resident said.

Praveen Kumar, officer-in-charge of Namkum police station, said: “A few days ago the matter came to my knowledge. When I visited I found the shutters down. I thought someone gave us wrong information. However, I warned a person whom I found standing near the hotel. But on Thursday evening I again got the information and sent my officers to see. They noticed gross violation of the prohibitory orders.”

A police officer at the district control room said over 180 FIRs have been registered across Ranchi so far for lockdown violations.

“It is difficult for people to keep patience for a long time though those with urgent work or those walking on the road are not disturbed. Most of the FIRs were registered when the lockdown was violated despite warnings,” the official said.