Implement Supreme Court order, give COVID-19 test reports directly to Patients: HC

On Saturday, the High Court of Bombay directed the state & Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to implement the Apex Court order to hand over COVID-positive reports directly to patients. The Court, while hearing the plea filed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) corporator Vinod Mishra from Malad, was informed by BMC that the petition was not maintainable & should have been PIL

However, the HC said that in light of the Supreme Court order, it wouldn't interfere, & issued the said directions.

The division bench of Justices SJ Kathawalla & Nitin Borkar, while hearing the plea filed by Mishra, challenging a circular issued by BMC on June 13 regarding the revised test reports rule, was informed by advocates Amogh Singh & Jeet Gandhi that Supreme Court on Friday had directed the State Govt to give the reports directly to the patients.

In light of their grievance being addressed, they sought the plea to be disposed of.

However, Senior Lawyer for the BMC, challenged the maintainability of the plea, saying that the issue was of general public well-being & should have been filed as a PIL. He further submitted a reply by BMC authorities that wasn't accepted by the bench as it was not an affirmed copy.

In light of the above & the fact that the Supreme Court had already issued an order, the HC directed the state & civic authorities to implement the Top Court order & disposed of the plea.

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