MADURAI: Strict restrictions are in place in many states of India following the second wave of COVID-19. Many states have limited the number of people who can attend events such as weddings. At this point, a couple from Madurai, Tamil Nadu, who adopted an unusual method to get married by avoiding restrictions has sparked controversy.
The Indian couple chartered a passenger jet to stage a mid-air wedding as more people could not attend the ceremony due to current COVID-19 restrictions. While only 50 people were allowed to attend the wedding, 161 people, including friends and relatives, attended the wedding on the plane.
The couple married as the Spicejet airline flew over the famous Meenakshi Amman temple on its way from Madurai to Bangalore, according to news reports. Video and photos of the celebrations were posted on social media and soon went viral. It was evident that no one at the ceremony wore a mask or maintained a social distance.
Subsequently, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation asked SpiceJet to take action against the newlyweds and their guests. Officials also said that India’s civil aviation authority has ordered an investigation and suspended the plane’s crew.
“The agent and the guest passengers were briefed in detail, both in writing as well as verbally, on social distancing and safety norms to be followed as per COVID guidelines both at the airport and onboard the aircraft throughout the journey,” a Spicejet spokesperson told Indian media.
“Despite repeated requests and reminders, the passengers did not follow Covid guidelines and the airline is taking appropriate action as per rules,” the official added.
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