Gujarat High Court Takes Cognizance Of CoVid Surge By Registering Suo Motu PIL

The Division Bench of Gujarat High Court comprising Chief Justice Mr. Vikram Nath & Justice Bhargav D. Karia has on April 11, 2021 directed the Registry to register a suo moto fresh Public Interest Litigation titled “In Re : Uncontrolled Upsurge and Serious Management Issues in COVID Control''. 

“Had it been stray news here and there, I could have ignored it but the volume of reports in the leading newspapers having nationwide circulation cannot be ignored. It is the time that the Court must intervene.”, the Court remarked. 

Directions have been issued to implead the State of Gujarat through its Chief Secretary, Gandhinagar, Principal Secretary, Department of Medical, Health and Family Welfare, Government of Gujarat, Gandhinagar, Union of India through the Secretary, Department of Home, Government of India, New Delhi, and Secretary, Department of Health, Government of India, New Delhi.

The order has been issued after taking into consideration the harrowing tales, unfortunate and unimaginable difficulties, unmanageable conditions of the infrastructure, the shortfall and the deficit of not only testing, availability of beds, ICU, but also supply of Oxygen and the basic medicines like Ramdesivir, etc that are being widely reported in the newspapers & news channels. 

The Division Bench comprising Chief Justice & Justice Bhargav D. Karia would hear the matter at CJ’s Residence tomorrow i.e on 12.04.2021 at 11:00 am. 

“The proceedings of the Chief Justice Court are live streamed. We would request the learned Advocate General and learned Government Pleader to inform the top bureaucrats of the State to watch the proceedings subject to their convenience, specially those implemented in this petition.”, the Court observed.

Case Title: Suo Motu v. State of Gujarat| R/Writ Petition (PIL) NO. 53 of 2021