The High Court of Karnataka on Monday declined to entertain a petition questioning norms of mandatory wearing of masks in public and workplaces, and restrictions imposed on movement between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. as part of the COVID-19 unlock-1 guidelines.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Nataraj Rangaswamy said that the court cannot interfere in such matters as it is better left to the authorities and experts to decide on whether wearing of masks is good or bad or which type of mask has to be used.
Legality questioned
Eighty-four-year-old S.R. Krishnamurthy of Bengaluru had questioned the legality of norm to wear masks compulsorily and restriction on movement. The petitioner complained that he had raised these issues in his blog and tagged it to the Prime Minister, the Chief Minister but did not get response.
On his grievance that he did not get response for his blog tagged to the PM and CM, the court said that all officials are busy in fighting the pandemic and hence the court cannot find fault in not responding to his blog while pointing out that emails were made available for approaching the officials for redressal of grievances.
