Setting an example of honesty, an IAS officer took to social media to admit that he was fined Rs 1,000 for not wearing a mask in public in Ahmedabad, the capital city of Gujarat.

Nitin Sangwan, the Deputy Commissioner of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, wrote on Twitter, "Today morning, I happened to pull down my mask while attending this event. It was indeed a terrible mistake to do so."

IAS officer gets fined for not wearing mask

"But I am happy that AMC (Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation) took immediate note of it and took quick action. Request all to follow social distancing and mask related guidelines, come what may," he posted along with a photo of the penalty receipt.

Ditching face mask is a violation

The government has made it mandatory to wear face masks in public places as a measure to contain the spread of coronavirus, violation of which is a penal offence. The fine amount, however, varies from state to state and it has been fixed at Rs 1,000 in Gujarat and Mumbai, and Rs 500 in Delhi.

In some cities, the violator may not only face penalty but can also be booked under Section 188 of Indian Penal Code (IPC).

India Coronavirus update
The World Health Organization has said India's relatively low mortality rate could rise as the virus fans out to the vast countryside, where health facilities are basic at best.Reuters

Notwithstanding the penalties, people can often be seen wandering without face masks even as coronavirus cases are rising by over 80,000 per day.

With a spike of 70,589 new cases and 776 deaths reported in the last 24 hours, India's COVID-19 tally crossed the 61-lakh mark on Tuesday, according to the Union Health Ministry.

According to the Union Health Ministry, the COVID-19 count stands at 61,45,292 including 9,47,576 active cases.