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Synopsis

The Allahabad High Court at Lucknow Bench has constituted a team of young lawyers to collect information on the homeless people in Lucknow and report back to the court.

The team will accompany Jyoti Rajpoot, a practicing lawyer, who has filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) highlighting the poor conditions of homeless people in the city.

When the matter was taken up on August 29, 2024, The bench of Justices Rajan Roy and Om Prakash Shukla expressed disappointment with the efforts made by the State Authorities so far to tackle the issue.

Despite some responses from the authorities, the court noted that the necessary data on homelessness had not been fully provided. The Additional Chief Standing Counsel Isha Mittal, mentioned that the data was still being collected because of its large volume. However, the court stressed that more needs to be done, as homeless people are still visibly present in the city.

To better understand the situation, the court formed a team of young lawyers who will visit areas in Lucknow where homeless people are found. This team, which includes lawyers Raj Kumar Singh, Shailendra Singh Rajawat, Jitendra Narain Mishra, Vikas Kumar Agrawal, Rani Singh, and Shreya Agarwal, will work with Rajpoot to gather information.

Court also ordered that this report be shared with Adv Mittal, who will then pass it on to the relevant officials for immediate action, without waiting for further court instructions. Court emphasized the importance of acting quickly to help the homeless.

The authorities are required to file an affidavit detailing their compliance with the high court's order before the next court date on September 30, 2024.

Court asked Adv Mittal to ensure that the order is communicated to the District Magistrate, Commissioner of Police, and Chief Medical Officer of Lucknow.

Case Title: Jyoti Rajpoot  V. State Of U.P. Thru. Addl. Chief Secy. Social Welfare Deptt. Lko. And Others