No beds for Covid patients in UP: Solicitor General Tushar Mehta tells SC in Siddique Kappan case
No beds for Covid patients in UP: Solicitor General Tushar Mehta tells SC in Siddique Kappan case
Days after CM Yogi Adityanath assured that there was no shortage of beds or oxygen supply in the state, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Uttar Pradesh, on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that the state was suffering from a severe shortage of hospital beds.
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UPDATED: April 28, 2021 16:17 IST
Patients at Indirapuram Gurdwara in Ghaziabad, April 26. The Centre has projected that Uttar Pradesh is slated to report more than 1.9 lakh cases every day by the end of April. (PTI File Photo)
The bench comprising Chief Justice N.V. Ramana, Justices S. Kant and A.S. Bopanna was hearing the habeas corpus petition filed by Kerala Union of Working Journalists(KUWJ) seeking Kappan`s release.
Other headlines: The SC directed to shift Siddique Kappan to Delhi hospital, and vaccination or negative test report is mandatory to enter vote counting halls.
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the UP government to submit within 24 hours all medical reports of hospitalised journalist Siddique Kappan, who has been in custody since October 5 for allegedly attempting to fuel unrest in Hathras after the death of a girl who was gang raped.
Appearing for Kerala Union of Working Journalists, advocate Wills Mathew said Kappan was admitted to Mathura’s KM Hospital after testing positive for Covid and alleged that he was tied to the bed with chains. He requested a bench of CJI N V Ramana and Justices Surya Kant and A S Bopanna to immediately remove the chains to enable him to eat freely.
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the Uttar Pradesh government to shift arrested journalists Siddique Kappan to a government hospital in Delhi for his treatment but disposed of the Kerala Union of Working Journalist s plea seeking his release.
The SC said once Kappan is treated and certified to be fine, he would be taken back to Mathura jail. “It is open for Kappan thereafter to apply for regular bai before a competent court,” the apex court said.
“We are confined to health issue. It is in the interest of the state also that the accused gets better treatment,” the bench observed.