Umamageshwari Maruthapan
The Bombay High Court had expressed its displeasure over a petition seeking Covid-19 Vaccination to Judiciary on a priority basis and ordered the decision on vaccination to be vested in the executive’s wisdom.
The bench comprising Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice G S Kulkarni was hearing a plea filed by Mumbai-based lawyers, demanding vaccination against Covid-19 to the members of the judiciary, advocates, and their staff, considering them as frontline workers.
It was rather “selfish” of the petitioners to seek vaccination on priority for the judiciary, the Court expressed.
It further stated that a plethora of different workers were working even during the lockdown period and they all can be treated as frontline workers. “Why not file a PIL for the staff of private organizations, dabbawalas? That way everyone is a frontline worker,” the Bench said.
Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh had informed about similar petitions pending before different courts and a suo-moto initiation by the Delhi High Court in this regard. He also stated that Bharat Biotech, developer of the ‘’Covaxin’’ vaccine, had filed an application before the Supreme Court seeking transfer of all related applications to itself.
Responding to the above statements, the Bombay High Court said that it will not make observations till the Top Court’s decision and adjourned the hearing.
