The Karnataka High Court on Friday asked the State government to clarify if the penal provisions of the Karnataka Epidemic Diseases Act, 2020 applied to organisers of the Panchamashali rally held in Bengaluru on February 21 and if any officer had been authorised to compound offences allegedly committed under the Act.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice S. Vishwajith Shetty passed the order after noticing inconsistency in taking action against the organisers of the rally for violating COVID-19 norms of wearing mask and maintaining social distancing during the rally.
The Bench noticed that the jurisdictional police had issued a notice asking the president of the Akhila Bharatha Lingayat Panchamashali Mahasabha to pay ₹10,000 as fine for violating COVID-19 norms despite specific condition imposed for maintaining the norms in the permission given for the rally.
However, the Bench pointed out that a person on behalf of the president of the mahasabha had paid ₹10,000 to the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike.
The Bench said provisions contemplated prosecution of those who violated the norms; and offences could be compounded either before or after institution of prosecution.
