Supreme Court reserves verdict on Section 377
New Delhi : The Supreme Court on Tuesday reserved its verdict in the case on decriminalising Section 377 of the Indian Penal code (IPC). This was after counsels from parties concluded their arguments.
The five-member Constitutional bench, headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, heard the arguments through the last week.
In the course of the hearings, the Centre told the apex court that it will not take a stand on the criminalisation of same-sex relationship. It told the court that it will "leave it to the wisdom of the court" to decide upon the matter.
On Tuesday, submitting his arguments, senior advocate K Radhakrishnan said prevalence of HIV will increase in the country if Section 377 IPC is struck down by the court. He added that such a move will also make India lose its nobility, character and virtuousness.
To this, the bench, which also comprises of Justices RF Nariman, AM Khanwilkar, DY Chandrachud and Indu Malhotra, said are sexually-transmitted diseases not prevalent among heterosexual couples?
Suresh Kumar Koushal's lawyer argued that a law should not be struck down just because it affects a handful of people. In 2013, Koushal had successfully challenged the Delhi High Court's historic verdict of 2009 wherein the court had read down Section 377 IPC to the effect that it decriminalised Section 377.
The order was overruled by a two-member bench of the Supreme Court in 2013.
Earlier in the day, Justice Nariman observed that the court cannot leave a matter to the legislature if it violates the fundamental rights gifted by the Constitution to every citizen of the country.
The five-member bench also observed that the top court will not wait for a government to enact, amend or not enact a law on any issue that violates individuals' fundamental rights.
courtesy : indiatoday.in
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Statewide ban on IV Ringer Lactate usage: Dinesh Gundu Rao
Bengaluru: In response to the deaths of postnatal women at Ballari District Hospital, the Karnataka government has temporarily suspended the use of IV Ringer Lactate solution across the state as a precautionary measure, Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao announced on Saturday.
Speaking to the media in Bengaluru, the minister explained that doubts about the quality of the IV solution had arisen, prompting the decision. He clarified that Ringer Lactate, along with glucose solutions, has been routinely used in hospitals for years. However, out of the 192 batches supplied by the Karnataka State Drugs Logistics and Warehousing Society, concerns were raised regarding two specific batches.
"In light of these concerns, we stopped the use of all 192 batches as a precaution. Following this, the supplying company obtained a High Court order for testing, and the Central Drugs Laboratory (CDL) conducted an analysis. The CDL report confirmed the usability of the solution, allowing the state to form a technical committee to review and permit the use of certain batches that met quality standards. Despite this, doubts have surfaced specifically at Ballari District Hospital," the minister stated.
To address these concerns, the batches supplied to Ballari Hospital have been sent for anaerobic testing to determine whether the IV solution contributed to the deaths. The test results are expected within a week, after which a final decision on the use of IV Ringer Lactate will be made.
"Until then, we have issued directives to hospitals statewide to suspend the use of IV Ringer Lactate. Every life is important to us, and precautionary measures are essential when suspicions arise," Gundu Rao emphasised.
