SC quashes PIL for inquiry into alleged mismanagement of COVID-19 pandemic

The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to consider a PIL filed by retired bureaucrats in which the government was accused of mismanagement of the covid-19 epidemic in the country.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, a bench headed by Justice LN Rao including Justice Ajay Rastogi said that despite the advisory issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs on February 4, the investigation of passengers coming from abroad did not start till March 4.

Bhushan said that on consultation with the ministry, he was asked to avoid overcrowding, yet was allowed to hold a ‘Namaste Trump’ event on 24 February, in which one lakh people gathered at a stadium.

According to Bhushan, experts had said that complete lockout should not be done. He said the lockdown resulted in a 23 percent drop in GDP, loss of jobs for crores of people and ruining the economy.

The bench said that it was a matter of public debate and the court was not willing to interfere. The apex court said that the government should look into these matters.

The petition also alleged that the Center failed to take effective measures in time to prevent the virus from spreading. It also stated that an independent investigation was required by a commission of defects.

By Priya Kumari