HC disposes of plea to ensure people aren't denied Essential Commodities for not having Aarogya Setu App

The High Court of Delhi has disposed of a plea seeking direction to the Centre to ensure that any private establishment doesn't deny access to essential & non-essential commodities to individuals who don't have a downloaded Aarogya Setu app.

On Friday, a division bench of Chief Justice DN Patel & Justice Prateek Jalan disposed of the plea filed by Lawyer Shashi Pratap Singh through his counsel Ashim Shridhar.

The Court noted that the petitioner doesn't press this plea at this stage & submitted that they shall prefer a representation to the concerned respondent authorities.

The petition sought to address an urgent issue of denial of access to essential commodities by private establishments for not having a downloaded, installed & working version of the 'Aarogya Setu app' despite the fact that there is no such direction from the Union of India or the Government of Delhi in any of the guidelines governing the national lockdown.

The petitioner told the Court he was recently denied access to an establishment in Delhi where he had gone to purchase certain essential commodities on the ground that he didn't have a downloaded, installed & working version of the 'Aarogya Setu" app on his mobile phone.

He said that in the time of pandemic when essential commodities & its supplies have been specifically kept operating to ensure that every individual can access them, such an action is extremely detrimental to the interests of the general public as it is equivalent to denying equal access to everyone. 

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