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COVID-19 patients treated as untouchables once posters pasted on their homes: Supreme Court

New Delhi
December 1, 2020

The Supreme Court Thursday said that once posters are pasted outside the homes of COVID-19 patients, these people are treated as "untouchables", reflecting a different "ground reality". The Centre informed the apex court that although it has not prescribed this rule, the practice has nothing to do with "stigmatizing" COVID-19 patients as it is aimed at protecting other people.

A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, R. Subhash Reddy and M.R Shah said that the ground reality is "something different" and as once such posters are pasted at their homes, they are treated as untouchables.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, said that some states on their own are pursuing this practice to prevent the spread of the virus.

Mehta said the Centre has filed its reply to the plea in pursuance of the top court's direction asking it to consider issuing nationwide guidelines to do away with practice of pasting posters outside the homes of COVID-19 patients.

"Let the counter filed by Union come on record we will take it up on Thursday," the bench said. The apex court on November 5 had asked the Centre to consider issuing the guidelines to do away with practice of pasting posters outside the homes of COVID-19 patients.

The bench had observed that when the Delhi Government has agreed in the high court not to paste posters, why cannot the Centre come up with guidelines dealing with the matter for the entire country.