Keeping in view the surge in COVID-19 cases in the national capital, Delhi High Court has extended the operation of all the subsisting interim orders till August 31 or until further orders. The extension of interim orders will include bails, stays, and paroles.
The three-judge bench justice D N Patel, Justice Siddharth Mridul, and Justice Talwant Singh has ordered that all such interim orders shall stand automatically extended till 31/08/20 or until further orders, except the orders passed in contrary by the top court during the intervening period.
As per the SC bench, all the orders will be updated on the website of UOI, GNCTD, DDA, Civic Authorities, Delhi High Court Bar Association, and all the other Bar Associations of Delhi.
Taking suo moto cognizance of the pandemic situation and practicing its jurisdiction under Articles 226 and 227 of the constitution, Delhi High Court took the decision for the interim orders passed by itself and also by the subordinate parts.
Needless to clarify that in case, the aforesaid extension of interim order causes any hardship of an extreme nature to a party to such proceeding, they would be a liberty to seek appropriate relief, as may be advised,” said the bench.
4-5 employees of the High Court have tested positive for COVID-19, however, all of them are asymptomatic. The very next day of that, the health department has set up a 3 days camp for Rapid Antigen Testing in the court premises for the staff and the officials.
The court also held that issue of the released prisoners returning to prison can be a possible carrier of the virus and need to be addressed. “The idea is to ensure that the released prisoners do not return to prison as asymptomatic patients of COVID-19, especially when the prisons are overcrowded,” said the court.
