Mukesh Dwivedi, Chaurai police station in-charge, said that crowd was spotted at a mosque on Thursday evening.
"After checking, 40 people were found offering prayers in the mosque on Thursday. They were not wearing masks and not maintaining social distancing, and were found violating Section 144 of CrPC. A case has been registered under Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 and other relevant sections against them," Dwivedi said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on March 24 announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of COVID-19.
The total number of COVID-19 cases in Madhya Pradesh stands at 259, including 16 deaths, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
( With inputs from ANI )