SC Dismisses Plea Seeking Free Unlimited Calls, Data Usage Facilities Amid COVID-19 Lockdown

The Supreme Court today dismissed the petition seeking direction to the Centre to ensure that free unlimited calling, data usage and DTH facilities are provided to subscribers to ease “psychological stress” during the lockdown till May 3 due to pandemic and sought a direction to the health ministry to take appropriate steps to help people dealing with stress.

A Bench of Justices NV Ramana, Sanjay Kishan Kaul and B.R Gavai took up the matter for hearing and junked the plea, saying. “What kind of petitions are being filed?”

Petition sought to invoke relevant terms of agreement for unified license to direct mobile network service providers in this regard. Also, petition sought to issue writ to invoke relevant terms of agreement of licenses to DTH service providers for free and unlimited viewing facility of their channels and other contents to their subscribers for lockdown period and mandamus for psychological pressure mounting on individuals due to lockdown and for being kept in quarantine.

It claimed that the Centre and state governments have taken various measures to help the citizens during lockdown by providing food and shelter and other means for survival but no steps have been taken to answer the psychological pressure which is mounting day by day on the citizens.

“Mental and psychological health are as important as physical health and less has been done in this regard by the government during lockdown. Most of the persons who got stranded away from their family and friends are living in deep psychological stress and there has been even two-three instances of suicides due to fear of isolation during treatment of coronavirus disease,” the plea said.

It said, “unlimited free audio and video communication means would allow the stranded persons, who are away from their family, to contact them and it would help in dealing with present situation. That free and unlimited access to internet and satellite TV channels would offer better and wide mode of entertainment to individuals who are confined in home or in quarantine facilities.”

-India Legal Bureau