Delhi HC in midnight hearing directs police to ensure safe passage for injured people  

Delhi High Court on Wednesday held an urgent midnight hearing at 12.30 am on a plea seeking safe passage for injured victims of violence in New Delhi to medical institutions with adequate facilities. In midnight sitting, the court asked Delhi Police to ensure safe passage and emergency treatment for injured people stuck in northeast Delhi’s Al Hind hospital. 

The bench comprised of Justice S Muralidhar and Justice AJ Bhambhani and the matter was taken up on a call by advocate Suroor Mander. The hearing took place at the residence of Justice Muralidhar and was attended by joint commissioner Alok Kumar and DCP (Crime) Rajesh Deo. Delhi government counsel Sanjoy Ghose was also present at the hearing.

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Advocate Mander said that several injured people at the Al Hind Hospital in New Mustafabad area "were unable to be moved" to the GTB hospital in Dilshad Gardens and needed urgent medical attention. The court’s order further explained the circumstances of the unusual sitting:

“This is a special sitting convened at 12:30 am (26.2.2020) at the residence of one of us (S. Muralidhar, J) under the orders of the senior-most judge, Justice G.S. Sistani, as the Chief Justice is not in Delhi at the present moment. One of us (S. Muralidhar, J)  received a call from an advocate, Suroor Mander, “explaining the dire circumstances under which certain grievously wounded victims of the riots taking place in the North-Eastern District of Delhi were unable to be moved from the Al Hind Hospital in New Mustafabad, a fairly small hospital which lacks the facilities for treating seriously wounded persons, for treatment at the GTB Hospital in Dilshad Gardens. She prayed for urgent orders for safe passage of the ambulances, both to the Al Hind Hospital and from the said hospital for the injured victims”.

See the order here: 

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Court sitting at 2.15 pm

According to reports, at the hearing, Advocate Suroor made the judge speak to Dr. Anwar from the Al Hind Hospital on speakerphone. The doctor informed the judges that at the hospital, there are two dead and around 22 injured who had been in need of assistance from Delhi Police since 4 pm on Tuesday evening but no such help was made available.

The court was also informed that the rioters were not allowing the ambulance to pass and since the situation is tense, the doctors wanted the police to help in the safe shifting of the patients from Al Hind hospital to GTB hospital.

As the order was being dictated, DCP (East) Deepak Gupta managed to reach the Al Hind Hospital and confirmed DCP (Crime) Rajesh Deo that the police was in process of evacuating the injured to the nearest hospital, as per reports.

The late-night order also said that the police must place a status report of compliance, including information about the injured victims and the treatment offered to them, which will be placed before the Court later today. The matter will be taken up today at 2:15 pm. 

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