'No Mask Can Cost Rs 1,000 Fine': Mumbai Police Busts Rumours, Asserts Rs 200 Penalty on Not Wearing Masks

Busting rumours and fake news surrounding Rs 1,000 fine over not wearing face masks, Mumbai Police on Wednesday, February 24, said that the penalty was Rs 200 and not Rs 1,000 as claimed by messages going viral over the internet. Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh finally cleared the air and said that no mask could cost a fine of Rs 1,000.

“Dear Mumbaikars! #FakeNews mongers are back again! This time claiming that No Mask can cost you a fine 1000 rupees. While no money can compensate for safety being compromised, you can only be charged Rupees 200 for not wearing a mask,” he tweeted on Wednesday morning.

Earlier on Monday, Mumbai police had announced the new mandate under Covid-19 norms that authorised cops to fine Rs 200 to those found without masks on the streets.

“Dear Mumbaikars, Mumbai Police is now authorised to issue challans to offenders not wearing a mask too. Every time we fined you for not wearing a helmet or seatbelt it was alway to remind you the value of your life & safety. Same for masks. Please take care. You matter to us,” the metropolis’ police had said in its tweet.

The BMC on Tuesday reportedly penalised 14,600 people for not wearing masks and collected Rs 29 lakh as a penalty. Between March 2020 to February 19, 2021, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had collected Rs 31.79 crore from 15.71 lakh people who were caught without face masks in public spaces, said an official.

Mumbai reported an increase of 643 fresh Covid-19 cases on Tuesday, taking the total caseload in the city to 3,20,531, a drop in the daily addition for the second day in a row. The country’s financial capital had recorded 900 and 760 cases respectively in the last couple of days, said civic officials.

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