Covid-19: SC notice on PIL seeking evacuation of 850 Kargil pilgrims stranded in Iran

Satya Prakash
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, March 27

The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice to the Centre on a PIL on seeking immediate evacuation of around 850 Shia pilgrims from Kargil stranded in Qom in Iran, which has been badly hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

A Bench of Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice Surya Kant asked the Centre to respond by Monday to the petition filed by Mustafa MH — a resident of Dras in Kargil, Ladakh — after Senior Advocate Sanjay Hegde submitted that the Indians stranded in Iran were faced with a grim scenario.

Arguing the matter through video-conferencing using ‘Vidyo’ app, Hegde said that in view of the situation arising out of the outbreak of COVID-19, “They (Indian Shia pilgrims) are stranded in Qom, Iran, without any health/medical facilities and food supplies.”

Noting that the Indians have been accommodated in hotel rooms in groups of four-five, the petitioner said the situation of spread of Corona was extremely critical in Iran.

“In fact, there may be as many as 250 people within the group of the aforesaid pilgrims who could be positive for Corona. In such a situation, accommodating persons together is a serious health hazard and could lead to disastrous consequences for such pilgrims,” the petition read.

“In case urgent help is not provided to these pilgrims, there are bound to be serious health hazards, which have started to become fatal and has resulted in the death of two pilgrims already,” the petitioner submitted.

As Hegde sought urgent humanitarian help to evacuate the Indians stranded in Iran, the top court requested Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to assist it. It also asked for an update on the issue.

This is the first time that the Supreme Court is hearing urgent matters via-conferencing with both judges and lawyers taking part in the proceedings sitting at their respective homes with the help of ‘Vidyo’ app.