High Court Dismisses Plea Challenging Delhi Govt's Decision Linking Hotel Beds With Hospitals For COVID Treatment Of Govt Officials

The Delhi High Court has dismissed a public interest litigation challenging the decision of the Delhi Government linking hotel beds with two hospitals, for the purpose of Covid-19 treatment of its government officials and their families.

Finding no merit in the plea, Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Jasmeet Singh remarked that while people were locked inside their homes during the lockdown period, it was such officers who were on the streets to control the pandemic situation.

It rejected the submissions made by the petitioner that resources of the government were unutilized as they were reserved specially for Covid treatment of such government officials and their family members.

Dismissing the plea, the Bench observed that the submissions made by the petitioner do not take into consideration the ground reality of second Covid wave.

Filed by Kaushal Kant Mishra, a doctor based in Delhi, the plea challenged Delhi Government's notifications which stated that rooms were reserved in four hotels being linked with two hospitals for Covid-19 treatment of such officials and their family members.

According to the notification, rooms were linked to two hospitals namely Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital and Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital.

Observing that the Court was not living in ivory towers, the Bench said such government officials were risking their lives when the national capital was facing a surge in Covid-19 cases in the middle of oxygen dearth.

Case Title: Kaushal Kant Mishra v. GNCTD