New Delhi, Sept 14: The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a plea seeking direction that compensation of Rs 50 lakh should be granted to family members of lawyers who have died due to COVID-19 within the age of 60 years with immediate effect.
A Bench headed by Justice DY Chandrachud said it can not make an exception for lawyers and imposed a cost of Rs 10,000 on petitioner-advocate Pradeep Kumar Yadav who had filed the plea.
“In the present circumstances, we dismiss the petition with the cost at 10,000 to be payable within a period of one week from today,” stated the order.
“If you are in a black coat, doesn’t mean your life is more precious… A lot of people died. You can’t be an exception,” observed the Bench.
In its order, the Bench said that there is no reason for the court to make an exception to the members of the bar who have suffered.
The apex court also observed that lawyers are filing bogus PILs for publicity.
“We will have to stop the lawyers from filing these bogus PILs. This is a Publicity Interest Litigation,” it said.
As the Bench was not inclined to entertain Yadav’s plea, he sought the court’s permission to withdraw his PIL but the court declined his request.
“None of the ground that has been set out in the petition is relevant at the issue at hand and it appears that copy and paste function has been applied,” the Bench said.
The plea had sought appropriate orders and directions for the Centre and others that in case of the pandemic, additional monetary help is provided to lawyers because advocates, as they have no other source of income other than their practice and their children, depend upon them.
The plea said when all courts are not working, then the very survival of lawyers and their staff is going to be severely affected. (Agencies)
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