If 10,000 people attend public rally without masks, take compounding fee from every participant: Karnataka High Court to State

The Karnataka High Court on Monday exhorted the State government to levy compounding fee from each and every participant of public rallies who takes part in such rallies without masks and in violation of the social distancing guidelines laid down by the State and the Centre..A Division Bench of Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Suraj Govindaraj said that such conduct is unpardonable and every violator should be taken to task and not just the organisers of public rallies.."If 10,000 people are moving without masks and social distancing, take compounding fee from everyone....... This is unpardonable, register FIR & investigate. Otherwise, everything including Supreme Court guidelines in Lalitha Kumari case will set at naught,” the Court said..The Bench was hearing a petition filed by an NGO LetzKit Foundation, seeking proper enforcement of COVID-19 protocol guidelines in the State.“Lakhs of people assemble without masks. This is unpardonable. We will not tolerate this. Because, ultimately people with impunity break the law,” the Court added..These remarks came after the State government on Monday told the Court that the penalty amount would be recovered from the organiser of the rally, if the participants of the said rally are found to be violating the social distancing norms.“Suppose 200 people assemble at a place without masks. Compounding must be for each offender. You are saying that only the organiser needs to pay the amount,” was the response of the Division Bench..When the Court was apprised that the penalty amount is Rs 50,000, Chief Justice Oka said,“You can make it Rs. 50,000, Rs. 50 or Rs. 5. But it has to be recovered from everybody.”.The Court on Monday also issued notice in a plea challenging the validity of compounding of offences under the Karnataka Epidemic Diseases Act, 2020.The matter will be heard again on March 24..During the previous hearing, the Court had specifically stated that compounding of offences can only be made by an officer authorized by the government on payment of such amount as may be notified by the government.The Court had also asked the State government to clarify on affidavit about the aspect of compounding of offences under the Karnataka Epidemic Diseases Act, 2020 after which the State made submissions on the same on Monday.