Delhi HC Rejects PIL Seeking De-Sealing Of Delhi's Borders, Asks Delhi Govt To Highlight The Important Points Of The Order To Citizens

The order has come in a PIL seeking de-sealing of the Delhi Borders for allowing citizens living in NCR region to access medical facilities in Delhi.

While disposing of the petition, the Division Bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan took note of the submission made by the Delhi Government which stated that the said order doesn't prohibit citizens living outside Delhi from coming to the city for medical emergencies.

Mr Sanjoy Ghose, who appeared for the Delhi Government informed the court that paragraph 6 of the said order clearly states that any person can apply for an e-pass to enter Delhi in case of any medical emergency.

Filed by Advocate Kushagra Kumar, the petition challenges the order dated 01/06/20 of the Delhi Government which directed for the sealing of Delhi's borders to allegedly restrict the residents from other States to avail medical facilities in Delhi.

The Petitioner calls this decision unlawful and arbitrary as it, according to the Petitioner, prevents the residents of other States, as well as citizens living in NCR region such as Noida and Gurugram, from availing the services of medical facilities run by Central Government, such as AIIMS.

'The order of the Delhi Government is not only inhumane, illegal, but also authoritarian in nature. Instead of creating medical infrastructure and working on ensuring medical facilities, it is sealing the borders', the petition states.

While citing the said order as being in violation of Articles 14, 19 and 21 of the Constitution, the Petitioner argues that the citizens have the right to avail medical facilities in any part of the country, if they can afford it.

Therefore, the Petitioner sought the court's intervention to 'de-seal' the borders of Delhi so that citizens staying in NCR are enabled to access central hospitals and other medical facilities.