Mumbai: Bail granted to architect who attacked cops questioning him for not wearing mask rejected

The policemen had confronted the architect after he was found to be wandering on Marine Drive amid lockdown restrictions and without wearing a face-mask, which was made mandatory by the Maharashtra government for public places because of the pandemic.

The Bombay high court (HC) on Tuesday granted bail to an architect (27), who was arrested on May 8, for the violation of lockdown restrictions, which were imposed since end-March across the nation to contain the spread of the raging coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak, and allegedly threatened policemen with a weapon on Marine Drive in Mumbai.

A file photo of Bombay high court. (HT photo)

The policemen had confronted the architect after he was found to be wandering on Marine Drive amid lockdown restrictions and without wearing a face-mask, which was made mandatory by the Maharashtra government for public places because of the pandemic.

On Tuesday, Justice Bharati Dangre granted bail to architect Karan Nair on a personal surety bond of ₹50,000.

Earlier on May 8, sub-inspector Jotendra Kadam noticed Nair strolling on the Marine Drive pavement flouting the lockdown restrictions.

Nair charged towards the on-duty policemen and allegedly brandished a weapon, when Kadam asked him to stop and also pulled him up for not wearing a face-mask.

He was arrested after a long chase.

Nair moved the HC, seeking bail, as he contended that he had been disturbed because of some personal issues on May 8. He argued that he didn’t use any weapon to threaten the police personnel and he was only carrying an instrument that was misconstrued as the weapon.

Justice Dangre said, perhaps, the young architect was irked because the policemen were chasing him for not wearing a face-mask at a public place.

The judge said the Covid-19 outbreak has brought about “an atmosphere of weariness and exasperation and a young person like the applicant has fallen into a trap in that scenario”.

The judge granted Nair bail primarily because he belonged to a reputed family and had no criminal antecedents.

“Another reason for his release is that jail facilities are overburdened with inmates,” the judge added.