SC will hear UP lockdown case in 2 weeks, appoints amicus curiae

The Supreme Court put a stay on Allahabad HC's order to impose lockdown in five COVID-19-hit cities in Uttar Pradesh.

File Photo (ANI)

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday (April 20, 2021) put a stay on Allahabad High Court's order to impose lockdown in five COVID-19-hit cities in Uttar Pradesh.

The Apex Court also appointed senior advocate PS Narasimha as amicus curiae to assist it in future hearings in the UP lockdown case.

The top court took note of the Yogi Adityanath-led government that it has taken steps to check the spread of coronavirus. 

The UP government told the Supreme Court that a lockdown by a judicial order may not be the right approach. It said that it will impose a lockdown whenever it feels that there is a need. 

The Supreme Court, however, asked Uttar Pradesh to submit before the state High Court its various steps and measures taken to control the COVID-19 spread within a week.

Meanwhile, the state government has announced to impose a weekend lockdown. The COVID-19-induced lockdown will come into effect on Friday at 8 pm and will remain in place till Monday 7 am. Only essential services will be allowed. Night curfew will remain in place in all the districts.

Earlier on Monday, the Allahabad HC had ordered lockdown in Lucknow, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Kanpur and Gorakhpur. The court chided the state government for not handling the COVID-19 pandemic well enough.

This is to be noted that Uttar Pradesh on Monday registered its highest single-day rise in COVID-19 deaths. The disease claimed 167 more lives, besides infecting 28,287 people. The state has so far witnessed a total of 8,79,831 COVID-19 cases