Senior consultant physician Srinivas Kakkilaya has filed a complaint with the Mangaluru South Police accusing office-bearers of Indian Medical Association, Mangaluru, of violating COVID-19 norms during the Doctors Day function on IMA premises on July 29.
In his complaint on Saturday, Dr. Kakkilaya said that office-bearers on the dais of the function had failed to wear masks. They sat too close and thus did not follow physical distancing.
A photograph of the function published in a Kannada daily showed this fact. Accusing IMA Mangaluru president M. Achuta R. Kudva, secretary Animesh Jain, treasurer U. Kumaraswamy and others of wilfully violating COVID-19 norms in a public place, Dr. Kakkilaya asked the police to initiate action under Section 269 of Indian Penal Code and Sections 4, 5 and 9 of the Karnataka Epidemic Diseases Act against all the office-bearers of the association.
The police said that they have sought a report from Mangaluru City Corporation.
Denying any violation of norms, vice-president-elect of State IMA unit K.R. Kamath said that the function was organised in adherence to norms. District Health and Family Welfare Officer Kishore Kumar participated in the function. “It is only while taking photographs that the masks were lowered,” Dr. Kamath said and added that he and the other members were strictly complying with government norms of wearing masks and ensuring social distancing.
