CAN’T TAKE ACTION AGAINST GOOD SAMARITANS FOR PROCURING OXYGEN: DELHI HC

HE HC CAME DOWN HEAVILY ON THE DELHI’S DRUG CONTROL DEPARTMENT FOR LAUNCHING PROSECUTION AGAINST AAP MLA PRAVEEN KUMAR

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court Thursday took strong exception to target and prosecute leaders of a particular political party who as good samaritans arranged oxygen for the patients when both the Centre and Delhi government failed to provide sufficient medical oxygen to people of the national capital during the second wave of Covid-19.

It was very unfortunate that a “human tragedy” has been used for “political capital,” observed the high court while coming down heavily on the Delhi’s drug control department for launching prosecution against AAP MLA Praveen Kumar for procuring oxygen cylinders and distributing it to the Covid-19 patients.

Terming the action as consciously targeting leaders of a particular political party and witch hunting, a bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Jasmeet Singh said if the drug controller chooses to proceed against one person for procuring and distributing medical oxygen, it shall also prosecute all the gurdwaras, temples, churches, social organisations and other people who had procured and distributed oxygen during the second wave of Covid-19.

“We will not allow this political capital. Then you proceed against all the gurdwaras, temples, churches and social organizations. Why pick only one person? The state, both the Delhi government and Union of India, failed in providing sufficient medical oxygen to the people of Delhi. There were some good samartians who provided oxygen. You can’t prosecute them,” the bench said.

The bench granted time to the drug controller to clear its stand on whether it wishes to prosecute all such persons who had procured or distributed medical oxygen for free to the needy Covid-19 patients and listed the matter for further hearing on August 5.