Deoria man fined Rs 10,000 in UP for not wearing face mask

Lucknow: With the Uttar Pradesh government already issuing warnings to the citizens to follow strict covid norms or be ready to face the music, a man in Deoria had to pay a heavy price for taking the directives lightly.

He becomes the first offender in the state to be fined Rs 10,000 for not wearing a face mask in public. This was the second time he was caught not wearing a face mask. He was earlier fined Rs 1,000 for violating the COVID-19 precautionary measure.

Amarjit Yadav, from Bariarpur police circle area in Deoria district, was caught roaming around without a face mask on April 17 and 18 by the police. Station House Officer (SHO) of Lar police station, TJ Singh told local media persons, “On Monday, Amarjit was spotted at the main crossing in Lar without a mask. Immediately, cops imposed the fine of Rs 10,000. We had already warned him on April 18 and fined him for Rs 1,000. We had also given him a mask.”

Interestingly on being stopped by cops, a reluctant Amarjeet Yadav argued that he was fined a day before for Rs 1,000 for not wearing a mask. When police came to know about his offence, under the Covid rules the police fined him Rs 10,000 and handed over the receipt to Amarjeet Yadav for the second time.

Mr Shripati Mishra, the Superintendent of Police, Deoria, said that with a sudden rise in COVID-19 cases across the state, the police were trying to implement safety protocols in the district which had 390 active cases on Monday. “We have formed teams and divided the district into sectors to enforce COVID-19 safety protocol. People not following protocols are first warned and then slapped with a challan of Rs 1,000. If someone flouts norms even after this, a fine of Rs 10,000 is realised from him,” he added.
It may be mentioned that the coronavirus crisis continues to worsen in Uttar Pradesh as thousands of new cases are being reported every day from the state. The UP government has been urging the public to wear masks and maintain physical distance. For those who are not wearing masks, a fine of Rs 1,000 was announced if the person was caught for the first time. And if the same person was caught second time not wearing a mask, the fine would be Rs 10,000.

According to the additional chief secretary (Health) Amit Mohan Prasad, “If you’re found not wearing a mask, a fine of Rs 1,000 would be levied. However, if found mask-less again, you may have to pay a penalty of up to Rs 10,000 each time. Hence, urge all to cover your nose and mouth each time you step out.”

UP government on Tuesday also issued a notification on the fines for not wearing mask, first time Rs 1000 and second time Rs 10,000. Similarly, Rs 500 will be fined for spitting. (UNI)