Lawyer attends court without mask, argues with staff; booked

An FIR was registered against a lawyer for not wearing a face mask and allegedly obstructing public servants in discharging their duty during his routine visit to a court in Chhattisgarh's Korba district, police said on Sunday.

A case was registered against Rajesh Thakur in Pali police station on June 12 based on the complaint of peon Gajendra Kumar Pandey and watchman Surendra Dubey of the civil court here, an official here said.

In the complaint, the two have said Thakur comes to the court daily without wearing a mask despite Pali being a red zone after coronavirus cases were reported here, the official added.

As per the complaint, on being stopped from entering the court premises for not wearing a mask, Thakur argued with staff, he said.

Thakur was booked under sections 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of Indian Penal Code and under provisions of Epidemic Disease Act, he added.

He is yet to be arrested, the official said.