Supreme Court To Hear Suo Motu COVID Case Next Week

After the UOI filed its affidavit in the suo motu COVID matter last Friday, the Supreme Court on Tuesday said that it shall list the matter for hearing either on Wednesday or Thursday of the next week.

The bench led by Justice DY Chandrachud, who also heads the bench which is in seisin of the suo motu matter, had on Tuesday requested SG Tushar Mehta and Amicus Curiae Meenakshi Arora and Jaideep Gupta to appear before the Court for a few minutes.

When the senior advocate joined the VC hearing, Justice Chandrachud informed them that as the Court is in the midst of the miscellaneous week, where all judges are reading 40 matters for the next day every evening, the judge himself and Justices L. Nageswara Rao and Ravindra Bhat (who are also members of the suo motu bench) would not be able to do justice to the affidavit by reading it overnight.

"We have not got the brief as yet. I have just got the brief on the electronic form that the government has filed an affidavit. What we will do is that, though Justice Nageswar Rao is not part of the bench today, but we will obviate the requirement of all of us assembling tomorrow and we will simply place this matter next week. I will speak to Justice Nageswara Rao as to when it is convenient, because he is heading another bench. I will also talk to Justice Ravindra Bhat (who was also part of Justice Chandrachud's bench on Tuesday) on the side. We can keep it on Wednesday or Thursday next week. Monday will be a miscellaneous day next week but on Tuesday, the pressure will be over. The court master will intimate you", said Justice Chandrachud.

SG Mehta told the judge that the Centre had filed the affidavit on Friday so that the judges got it in advance and asked if he should forward hard copies of the reply also since the judges have not received it.

Justice Chandrachud said that he himself as well as Justices Rao and Bhat would read the electronic copies of the affidavit only, but asked Mr. Mehta to circulate the hard copy to Mr. Gupta and Ms. Arora. The SG assured that he already shared with them the electronic copy and that he would also send the hard copies.

"So, tomorrow, we will not formally assemble. We will notify the date...we will have it either next Wednesday or Thursday", said Justice Chandrachud.