Bombay HC seeks Maharahstra government's reply on PIL seeking uniform fine for mask rule

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The Bombay High Court on Wednesday issued a notice to the Maharashtra government over a public interest litigation seeking that fines imposed for not wearing masks outdoors be uniform in all cities of the state.

A Pune-based NGO in its PIL stated that no specific law existed for imposing fines on citizens for not wearing masks.

There are contradictions in the directives issued by the state and Union governments, and the police were demanding different amounts as fines in different cities of the state, the plea said.

The petitioner sought that the police and civic employees empowered to impose fines be directed to follow a standard operating procedure and the authorities also be directed to hand out free masks.

The NGO also urged the court to direct the state to restrain from imposing high amounts as fines for masks, as imposing penalties as high as Rs 500 or Rs 1,000 on a common man or someone who is under financial duress is wrong.

A bench of Justices S P Deshmukh and G S Kulkarni directed the state to file its reply within two weeks.

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