NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Monday refused an urgent hearing of a public interest litigation (PIL) to declare the removal of activist Sonam Wangchuk from the Jantar Mantar protest site to Safdarjung Hospital ‘illegal’. The petition also sought the ‘constitutional protection of the protestors’.
“What is the urgency? That can be declared illegal even on Wednesday. You are seeking a declaration that can be made day after tomorrow also,” Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya said. The court said the matter will be taken up on Wednesday, the day designated in the High Court for hearing the PILs.
The court refused the urgent hearing of the plea that claimed that “the action taken by the police officials for removing Wangchuk from the protest site to the hospital was illegal citing Article 14 (fundamental right of equality before law) and 19 (freedom of speech and expression) under the Constitution”.
“We are seeking constitutional protection of the protesters. A lot of lives are in danger,” the petitioner claimed. The HC on Monday sought a “comprehensive” medical report from Safdarjung Hospital on Wangchuk’s health condition by Tuesday after his wife alleged that he was “forcibly” kept there by the Delhi Police to prevent him from taking part in the protests.
The court also asked the in-charge of AIIMS and other consulting and treating doctors to be present during the course of the hearing tomorrow, when the court will hear and pass the order in the matter. The bench said the report should include July 20’s sample analysis.
Another bench on Sunday upheld the government’s decision to shift Wangchuk from Jantar Mantar to Safdarjung Hospital, holding the move as “not arbitrary”.