We never intended to transfer COVID-crisis cases from various High Courts: SC

Amid the rise in the COVID19 cases in India the Supreme Court on Friday while hearing the suo motu cognizance case on COVID19 crisis said that we never have the intention to transfer the COVIDcrisis related cases from various High Courts to itself and observed that we never stalled HCs hearingsA threejudge bench of the Apex Court headed by the Chief Justice of India CJI Sharad Arvind Bobde hearing the case observed that the people are dying due to lack of oxygenThe CJI also made it clear that yesterdays order in the suo moto case did not speak about transferring cases out of various state High Courts to itself and adjourned the matter for TuesdayThe Apex Court also made it clear that the state HCs can continue hearing covid related cases with respect to shortage of oxygen injections and other necessary items as people are dying due to the lack of oxygenThe threejudge bench of the Apex Court headed by the CJI Bobde and also comprising Justice L Nageswara Rao and Justice S Ravindra Bhat was hearing the Suo Motu Cognisance case with respect to the crisis of oxygen shortage and othersWhile hearing the case the CJI Bobde observed People are dying due to lack of oxygen Everyone needs oxygen with due respect to allThe Solicitor General SG Tushar Mehta appearing for the Centre said The country is in bad need of oxygen Odisha oxygen can come to Rajasthan We have the potential and why dont we use our manpower for itMeanwhile during the course of the hearing the CJI allowed senior lawyer Harish Salve to recuse from the post of Amicus Curiae Friend of the court to assist the court in the caseThe Top Court allowed his plea to withdraw from the post of Amicus after he told the SC that he would not want to be assisting the court when allegations are leveled against him for being appointed as Amicus and is maliciously attributed by some to his friendship with CJI from school daysPlease permit me to recuse from the case senior advocate Harish Salve said The SG Mehta said that it is very unfortunate that many virtual media platforms are abusing this process of appointing Harish Salve as Amicus Curiae in the case We are interested that oxygen is produced and it should be used the CJI saidJustice Rao another judge in the bench of the Apex Court questioned Senior lawyer Dushyant Dave that without seeing our order how can he say that we wanted to transfer the Covid related cases to us from various HCsDave and certain other lawyers had spoken to certain media houses on the issue and raised questions about the likely decision of the SC to transfer the covid cases itself Justice S Ravindra Bhat another judge on the bench questioned Dave that we have not said anything on HCs but how you commented like thisWe have not stalled the proceedings of the HCs yet Justice Bhat asked Dave The lordships should look into the interstate movement of oxygen as there is a serious shortage of oxygen Senior lawyer Vikas Singh for the SCBA told the SCThe CJI said that the matter is adjourned to Tuesday April 27This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever