Kriti Agrawal
After the Bombay High Court’s principal seat in Mumbai and its Nagpur bench took cognizance of Covid-19 management, the Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court, after perusing several news accounts, has instituted a Suo motu PIL to resolve issues such as funeral rites for Covid-19 patients, a lack of medical oxygen supply, and black marketing of Remdesivir, among others.
On April 22, a division bench of Justice Ravindra V Ghuge and Justice Bhalchandra U Debadwar, citing 14 newspaper reports, ordered that the central government, state government, municipal commissioner, and district collectors from Marathwada and North Maharashtra be made respondents to this PIL.
To assist it with the litigation, the bench named advocate Satyajeet S Bora as Amicus Curiae. The court asked Bora to keep track of the Supreme Court proceedings, in which the apex court had taken cognizance of matters pertaining to the supply of oxygen and Remdesivir injections, and to notify the bench of any developments.
According to a newspaper article, relatives of deceased Covid-19 patients must run from pillar to post to obtain certificates for conducting funeral rites, and the court stated that a “one window system for funeral rites can be considered.”
The court also took note of a news report indicating that an oxygen plant on the grounds of the Government Medical College and Hospital in Aurangabad is at high risk of an accident close to the one that occurred in Nashik on April 21.
The HC stated that it will address the concerns raised about alleged black marketing of Remdesivir injections, which are being marketed at “exorbitant rates” even up to Rs 22,000 or Rs 37,500 per vial, despite the fact that the cost of such injections ranges between Rs 850 and Rs 2,500.
Though the case will be heard in Aurangabad on April 26, a Suo motu PIL will be heard in Nagpur on April 27. On May 4, a bench headed by Chief Justice Dipankar Datta will hear the PIL on Covid-19 management at the principal seat in Mumbai.
