A complaint has been registered against a top doctor from Mangaluru, Karnataka, for refusing to follow Covid-19 protocols inside a commercial establishment. The doctor was seen arguing with an executive at the shopping mart for asking him to wear a mask.
A video of Dr. Srinivas Kakkilaya, a renowned doctor and an expert on public health, has gone viral on the internet, in which he was seen arguing with the supermarket staff for asking him to follow Covid-19 protocols and wear a mask. The incident took place in Jimmy’s Super Mart in the Kadri area of Mangaluru.
The doctor can be seen claiming that he had already recovered from Covid-19, and hence there was no need for him to wear a mask. However, the store in charge can be seen asking the doctor to wear as the other customers had raised a complaint against the doctor for not following the Covid-19 protocols inside the store.
“I have been coming to this store for a long time,” says the doctor as he was confronted by the store in charge. As the store in charge says the doctor was putting the staff and his customers at risk, the doctor says that he was not putting anyone at risk as he was infected with the virus long back and has also recovered from it.
Continuing to argue, the doctor was heard saying, “Foolish rules can be made. Will you follow the foolish rules? I have spoken and written about it. I am following Science and I do not want to get fooled by such foolish government,” says Dr. Srinivas Kakkilaya as he was confronted by the staff of the supermarket in Mangaluru.
Complaint registered against Dr Srinivas Kakkilaya
A case has been registered against Dr. B Srinivas Kakkilaya under Epidemic Act at East (Kadri) police station following his refusal to wear a mask while he went shopping at a supermarket in the city on Wednesday May 19.
A complaint was filed by Ryan Rosario, a partner of Jimmy’s Super Mart Kadri at the Kadri police station. In the complaint, Ryan had stated that the customer, Dr. Kakkilaya, who came to the supermarket at around 8.45 am on May 18, refused to wear a mask when the staff in the supermarket asked him to do so.
Reportedly, the police have registered a complaint against the accused under sections of 4,5 and 9 of the Karnataka State Epidemic (Prevention) Act 2020.
Speaking on the issue, police commissioner N Shashi Kumar said, “It has come to our notice that a video went viral on the social media, where Dr. Kakkilaya is seen violating Covid norms by not wearing a mask at a supermarket. When the shopkeeper requested him to wear a mask, Dr. Kakkilaya opposed. A complaint has been filed at East police station under Karnataka Epidemic Act 2020. The investigating officer has been directed to serve notice to the accused and probe the case”.
