Supreme Court asks Centre for status report in Covid-19 suo motu case [Read Order]

The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Central government to file a status report by December 15 on the receipt of audit reports from all states, union territories on Covid-19 facilities in the suo motu case on proper treatment of Covid patients after the death of 8 persons in a fire at a Rajkot Covid facility in November.

The bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, R. Subhash Reddy and M.R. Shah told the Gujarat government to file a detailed affidavit on the Rajkot tragedy. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the bench that the report with regard to the fire safety audit of states is under preparation. The Apex Court had granted time to the Centre till Monday last to file the status report as but it has not been filed yet.

Justice Shah said the Supreme Court had directed the home secretary to take steps but nothing has been done. Mehta said a committee would inquire Rajkot Covid-19 hospital incident.

With this, the court also ordered to compile, audit and filed all data within 3 days. The Gujarat government submitted the committee looking into the Ahmedabad fire incident may also inquire into the Rajkot incident. To this, the bench said it is open for the state government to do so. The matter will now be heard on Monday.

Advocate Aparna Bhat appeared for the applicant whose wife was among the eight people who died in the Rajkot fire.

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Last month, the top court had observed that the pandemic situation is likely to worsen across the country and that the states as well as the Centre must be well-equipped to deal with the crisis. Following which the bench had directed Delhi, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Assam to file status reports with respect to Covid-19 cases, the ground situation for handling crisis as well as steps taken.

Read the order here;