Wearing mask even when driving alone - an 'absurd' rule in Delhi: High Court

New Delhi : The Delhi High Court on Tuesday called Delhi government's rule 'absurd' that bounds people to wear mask even when they are driving alone in their car.

"It is a Delhi government order, why don't you withdraw it. It is absurd actually. You are sitting in your own car and you must wear the mask?" the bench said.

"Why is this order prevailing? Take instructions," a bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Jasmeet Singh told the Delhi government counsel.

The observation came when a counsel representing the Delhi government shared an incident where a man was challan-ed by the Delhi cops for not wearing a mask while he was sitting in his car and sipping coffee with his mother.

Senior advocate Rahul Mehra, representing Delhi Government, called the single judge order of April 7, 2021, which had refused to interfere in the government's decision, as "very unfortunate."

"Somebody sitting in the car with rolled-up windows and being challan-ed for Rs 2,000. That single judge order is very unfortunate," he said, adding that when the DDMA order was passed the situation was different and now the pandemic is almost over.

"If that order is bad why don't you withdraw it," the bench said.