Bombay HC directs man to pay Rs 10K to CM relief fund for obstructing officials on Covid duty

The court added that as the other offences are bailable, the bail plea deserves to be allowed, subject to conditions. (File)

While granting bail to a 55-year-old man, the Bombay High Court on Tuesday directed him to pay Rs 10,000 to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund after he was booked for causing obstruction to government servants visiting his residential colony to collect data in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Justice Bharati Dangre was hearing the bail plea filed by Zafar Jamal Khan. Secretary of a residential society on Mira Road in Mumbai, Khan was booked for getting into a heated argument with officials on COVID-19 duty and obstructing a squad of health staff and ASHA workers by persuading his colony members not to share information with them.

Naya Nagar police station booked Khan on March 31 under IPC, including Section 353 (punishment for assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), and the Disaster Management Act.

Justice Dangre observed: “Prima facie reading of the FIR do not make out any ingredients of Section 353 of the IPC, which has been invoked and applied against the applicant.”

The court added that as the other offences are bailable, the bail plea deserves to be allowed, subject to conditions. Justice Dangre directed Khan to deposit Rs 10,000 in the CM’s Relief Fund and placed on record a receipt of its deposit within four weeks from Tuesday.