Udupi : Deputy Commissioner G. Jagadeesha said on Wednesday that criminal cases would be booked against owners of houses, flats and sheds who were collecting rent from those, including workers, staying in rented houses.

Mr. Jagadeesha said that to prevent the spread of COVID-19, restrictions had been imposed throughout the district under Section 144(3) of the Criminal Procedure Code. The administration had through an earlier order made it clear that house owners and shed owners should not collect rent from their tenants and workers for March and April.

But the administration had received complaints that some house owners and shed owners were collecting rent despite the order.