Mangaluru, May 30 : A court in Mangaluru has imposed a fine of ₹6,000 on Narendra Nayak, Chairman of Expert Group of Institutions, for allegedly violating COVID-19 lockdown regulations in 2021 by allowing parents of PU college students to gather in front of the gate of Expert PU College at Valachil.
The order was passed by Third Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) E.S. Suresh. Under Section 5(3A) of the Karnataka Epidemic Diseases Act, 2020, Nayak was directed to pay a fine of ₹5,000. Failure to pay the fine will result in a simple imprisonment of seven days. Additionally, he was fined ₹1,000 under Section 269 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for a negligent act likely to spread infection of a dangerous disease. Non-payment of this fine would attract two days of simple imprisonment.
According to the charge sheet, on April 27, 2021, during the COVID-19 lockdown, parents of students staying in the hostel of Expert PU College’s Valachil campus gathered in front of the college gate. The prosecution alleged that Nayak permitted the gathering by failing to ensure that students were sent home with their parents and by allowing parents from distant locations to assemble outside the institution.
The incident occurred despite restrictions imposed by the Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner through an order dated April 26, 2021. The order had prohibited the operation of schools, colleges, and coaching institutions and directed educational institutions to conduct classes online.
In the 67-page judgment, the magistrate observed that the prosecution’s witnesses supported the case and that photographs and video evidence related to the incident had been produced before the court. The court concluded that the prosecution had successfully established the charges against Nayak and found him guilty of violating the lockdown regulations.