Maha govt hiding 950 COVID-19 deaths from Mumbai: Fadnavis alleges
Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has not reported as many as 950 COVID-19 deaths from Mumbai, which amounts to the violation of the ICMR guidelines, senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis alleged on Monday.
In a letter addressed to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Fadnavis said, "Some 950 deaths due to COVID-19 are still not reported (in Mumbai). It is a very serious matter and risky as well".
As on June 14, the number of COVID-19 fatalities in worst-hit Mumbai stood at 2,182, as per the state government.
Fadnavis claimed 500 of the 950 deaths that had occurred in various hospitals in Mumbai were not even referred to the death audit committee.
"451 deaths have been termed as non-COVID deaths by the death audit committee. However, as per the guidelines of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), all these deaths had occurred due to COVID-19," the Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly alleged.
We demand clarification on under whose pressure the committee reported those deaths as non-COVID-19, he said.
"The BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) has refused to follow the ICMR guidelines and certain deaths were not recorded as occurred due to COVID-19. Despite clear guidelines from the ICMR, why the audit committee showed those deaths as non-COVID-19 deaths?" questioned the former chief minister.
He said the action of the committee was not only condemnable but also criminal in nature.
"There is another incident where some 500 deaths that occurred in various hospitals in Mumbai were not even referred to the death audit committee. I want to know what action state is going to take," he said and demanded stern action against the guilty.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
People who criticise court vacations don't understand judges don't have holidays on weekends: SC
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Wednesday said people who criticise that the apex court and high courts take long vacations don't understand that judges don't have holidays even on Saturdays and Sundays.
The observation came from a bench of justices B R Gavai and Sandeep Mehta after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said those who criticise that top court and high courts take long vacations does not know how judges work.
The issue of vacation came up after the apex court, which posted the West Bengal matter for arguments on Thursday, told both the sides that arguments be concluded before the apex court goes on summer vacation, which will commence from May 20.
"All those who criticise that Supreme Court and high courts are on long vacations, they don't know how judges work," Mehta told the bench when it was hearing a lawsuit filed by the West Bengal government that has accused the CBI of going ahead with its probe without securing the prerequisite nod from the state.
"People who criticise, they don't understand that we don't have holidays on Saturdays and Sundays. There are other assignments, conferences," Justice Gavai said.
Mehta, who was appearing for the Centre in the West Bengal matter, told the bench that judges of the top court deal with 50-60 cases on a daily basis and they deserve vacation.
"It is the toughest job in the country," senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who was also appearing in the matter, said.
The bench said during vacations, the judges write judgements in cases heard by them.
"Long judgements have to be written during vacations," the bench observed.
It said the judgement in the matter can then be written during the summer vacation.
"People who do not know the system, criticises it," Mehta said.
