A newly married couple who moved to the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking protection from the family was fined Rs. 10,000 as the judge observed that the couple and their guests weren’t wearing masks during the wedding. The couple married against their families’ wishes and moved to the court asking for protection from their families.
HC bench of justice Hari Pal Verma imposed the fine after he went through the wedding photographs submitted in the petition by the couple. In those photos, the couple and the guests were not wearing masks.
Currently, it is mandatory to wear masks in public in Punjab to stop the spread of the COVID-19 as per the governments order.
The court while fining the couple said, “Perusal of the photographs attached with the petition, Annexure P-4, shows that at the time of the marriage ceremony, the petitioners and other attending persons were not wearing the masks, which is otherwise necessary in view of COVID-19 pandemic,”
The couple now is expected to deposit the fine within 15 days in with Hoshiarpur DC from Tuesday. The court also ordered that the deposited amount will be utilised for the purpose of providing masks for people in Hoshiarpur.
Considering the petition of seeking the protection the court observed that the couple approached the Gurdaspur Senior Superintendent of Police. Thus the judge asked the SSP to take appropriate measures on the basis of that request.