The Madras High Court on Tuesday dismissed a public interest litigation petition which challenged a government gazette notification issued on September 4 for the collection of fine, ranging from ₹200 to ₹5,000, for not wearing masks, failing to adhere to physical distancing norms or violating SOPs in salons, spas, gymnasiums and so on.
Chief Justice Amreshwar Pratap Sahi and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy dismissed the PIL petition filed by R. Muthukrishnan of Chennai.
Mr. Muthukrishnan had claimed that the Tamil Nadu Public Health Act of 1939 only empowered Collectors and other officials to ensure compliance to COVID-19 norms. However, it did not declare non-compliance to COVID-19 norms as a compoundable offence. Therefore, such a course ought not to have been adopted through the gazette notification, he had said.
