The Delhi High Court on Thursday sought the stance of the Delhi government on whether masks were being manufactured as per rules. The court was hearing a plea filed by activist Jai Dhar Gupta claiming that sub-standard masks were being sold. He further sought a regulatory body for deciding the standards for the manufacture and sale of masks used for protection against the coronavirus. He added that masks matching a person's attire which is single-layered and offers negligible protection, have gained popularity following the outbreak of the pandemic.
The plea was opposed by the Delhi government's counsel Santosh K Tripathi who claimed that the standards for masks have already been set down by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). Following the petitioner's claim that these rules and regulations were not being complied with, the bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh sought the response of the Delhi government. Furthermore, the court asked the petitioner to reveal the instances of non-adherence.
The bench listed the matter for hearing on June 4.