ORDER :

Petitioner, invoking the provisions of Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (for short “Cr.P.C.”), has approached this Court for quashing FIR No. 51 of 2021, dated 7.5.2021, registered in Police Station East, Shimla under Sections 419, 468, 471 of Indian Penal Code (for short “IPC”), Section 66(D) of Information Technology Act, 2000 (for short “IT Act”) and Section 54 of Disaster Management Act, 2005 (for short “DM Act”).

2. Petitioner is a journalist by profession, who, since 2017, remained associated with various media houses and has been working with Zee Media House since January, 2021 and is posted in Shimla.

3. During Covid-19 Pandemic, vide order dated 25.4.2021, Government of Himachal Pradesh through Secretary (Health), to the Government of Himachal Pradesh-cum-Mission Director (National Health Mission) had issued an order invoking provisions of Himachal Pradesh Epidemic Disease (COVID-19) Regulations 2020 and The Epidemic Disease Act, 1897 with certain direction to combat and control the spread of Covid-19 Pandemic. Besides other directions, there was a direction that all inter-state movement into the State shall be monitored through registration in COVID e-pa