HYDERABAD: Stating that he cannot adjudicate the batch cases at this stage in view of his transfer as the Chief Justice of the Uttarakhand High Court, Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan of the Telangana High Court on Thursday posted the batch petitions filed on the Covid-19 issue to December 31.
The new incumbent Chief Justice of this Court of Justice, Hima Kohli, will hear the matter as she has already monitored all COVID cases in New Delhi and passed remarkable judgments. Expect the same to happen here, the CJ noted.
The batch petitions seeking directions to the Telangana government to provide medical equipment, medicines and trained staff to all the designated COVID hospitals and another batch of PILs filed against exorbitant charges being collected by various private hospitals for COVID-19 treatment came up for hearing before the bench, comprising Chief Justice Chauhan and Justice B Vijaysen Reddy, on Thursday. State Advocate General BS Prasad informed the court about filing of the report enumerating the steps the government has taken to prevent spread of Coronavirus in the State.
Reacting to the AG’s submissions, the CJ said the 279-page report submitted a few minutes before the commencement of the case hearing will be taken on record, but will adjourn the hearing to December 31.
When advocate Chikkudu Prabhakar, appearing for one of the petitioners, urged the High Court to hear the batch cases in view of the possible second wave of Covid-19 and deaths of patients due to lack of proper treatment, the Chief Justice said the new Chief Justice will hear these cases by the end of this year.
As for the contempt case against Director of Public Health and Family Welfare G Srinivasa Rao, the bench said it will adjourn the case ‘sine die’ in view of the Supreme Court granting a stay on the contempt proceedings issued by the Telangana High Court.
On this occasion, several advocates told the High Court bench that they are deeply obliged that the present bench has closely monitored the Covid-19 pandemic and related matters in Telangana.