COVID-19 Situation Getting Worse With Each Passing Day, Says SC

 

The Supreme Court on Tuesday said that the COVID-19 situation in the country was getting worse with each passing day. The oral observations came when a Bench headed by Justice Rohinton Nariman and comprising Justices Navin Singa and B R Gavai were hearing a case related to the parole of businessman Jagjir Singh Chahal, accused of money laundering and taking part in a drug racket in the Jagdish Bhola drug case in Punjab.

While the counsel for the Punjab government opposed granting any relief to Chahal, Justice Nariman observed that as the COVID-19 situation was getting worse and not better in the country with each passing day, it did not make sense to send Chahal back into overcrowded prisons when already several others who could get parole, had got relief. The top court also granted parole to Chahal till his appeal hearing is finally disposed off in the High Court.

The Supreme Court had on March 23 asked all the states and Union Territories to constitute committees to examine granting parole, or bail, to prisoners and undertrials for offences which carry a maximum jail term of seven years. The move was aimed at decongesting crowded prisons especially in light of the coronavirus pandemic.