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2020 DIGILAW 817 (KAR)

Girish Bharadwaj v. State Of Karnataka And Others

2020-04-21

ABHAY S.OKA, B.V.NAGARATHNA

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JUDGMENT 1. We have heard the learned counsel appearing for the petitioner. 2. When we invited the attention of the learned counsel appearing for the petitioner to the first paragraph of the written submissions filed by the State Government on 9th April 2020, the learned counsel appearing for the petitioner stated that in view of the steps taken by the State Government as set out in the said written submissions, the petitioner is not pressing any prayers, except the prayer clause (c) regarding furnishing information to the general public. 3. The learned counsel appearing for the petitioner also invited our attention to the fact that for considering the prayer for remand, the accused are being personally produced before the concerned judicial officers at their home offices in the National Games Village at Bengaluru. He submitted that the directions may be issued to conduct the remand proceedings by video conferencing hearing. This suggestion deserves to be considered. Therefore, we direct the Registrar General to look into the matter and after seeking administrative approval, issue necessary directions to the concerned Courts. We may note here that yesterday in one case, more than 50 accused were produced for seeking remand before a learned Metropolitan Magistrate at Bengaluru via video conferencing. 4. Coming to the written submissions filed by the State Government on 9th April 2020, we find that the State Government has taken steps to trace the Foreign and Indian nationals who attended the religious ceremony at Nizamuddin in Delhi and further steps have been taken to quarantine them. The order of 13th April 2020 of this Court, records that 808 persons who attended the event in Nizamuddin have been identified and quarantined in the State. 5. The learned Additional Solicitor General of India pointed out that on 16th April 2020, a memo has been filed placing on record a list furnished on behalf of the Government of Delhi to the Government of Karnataka containing data of the Foreign and Indian nationals who attended the Nizamuddin gathering. 6. As regards the prayer for furnishing information to the general public, the State Government as well as the Central Government have been periodically releasing the figures of the number of persons tested positive, number of live cases, number of recovered cases and the number of deaths. 6. As regards the prayer for furnishing information to the general public, the State Government as well as the Central Government have been periodically releasing the figures of the number of persons tested positive, number of live cases, number of recovered cases and the number of deaths. The State Government or Central Government will have to take a decision on the question whether specific information as regards particular persons who have allegedly contacted corona virus at a particular place should be made public or not. It is a matter of policy. Therefore, we are unable to issue any directions in this behalf. 7. There is I.A.No.1/2020 filed by Smt.Geeta Mishra. Only reliance is placed on the guidelines issued by the World Health Organisation (for short WHO) on 19th March 2020 about the quarantine of the individuals in the context of containment of the corona virus disease. We are sure that while subjecting the persons to quarantine, the State Government and the Central Government are taking into consideration the guidelines laid down by WHO from time to time. Accordingly, subject to what is observed above, the writ petition and the I.A. is disposed of.