A case has been filed against a doctor in Mangaluru in Karnataka for refusing to wear a mask in a supermarket.
The doctor, identified as B. Srinivas Kakkilaya, did not wear a mask on Tuesday while shopping and allegedly refused to do so when asked by the supermarket staff, police sources said.
The video of the heated argument between the staff and the doctor went viral.
When he was questioned why he wasn't wearing a mask, the doctor claimed that the rule is "foolish." When Kakkilaya said he has been coming to the supermarket for a long time, the staff member said while this may be true, the rules are same for everybody.
He told the staff that he is not putting anyone at risk as he had contracted COVID-19 and recovered from it. When the staff pointed out to him that rules are rules and the latter is acting foolish, he said, "“I am not acting foolish. I know. I am following science. I do not want to be fooled by this foolish government...foolish rules have been made, have you opposed it? This lockdown is a foolish rule, have you opposed it?”
Based on a complaint from Ryan Rosario, a partner of the supermarket, a case was registered against the doctor under sections 4, 5 and 9 of Karnataka State Epidemic (prevention) Act 2020, the police said.
In his complaint, Rosario claimed that the accused put his customers and staff at risk. “I urge the government to look into this matter and take necessary action against the concerned person,” he said in his complaint.
—With PTI inputs
