SC allows lawyer to deposit Rs 25 lakh with registry for travel of migrants from Mumbai

The Supreme Court on Thursday directed a Mumbai-based lawyer to deposit Rs 25 lakh with the apex court registry, which he has offered for the travel of migrant workers from Mumbai to their native places in Uttar Pradesh amid Covid-19 pandemic.

A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, Sanjay Kishan Kaul and M R Shah directed that lawyer Sagheer Ahmed Khan deposit the amount with registry in the name of secretary general of the top court within a week, which could be used for the travel of migrant workers.

During the hearing, conducted via video conferencing, Khan told the top court that he has a bona fide concern for the migrant workers and wanted to deposit Rs 25 lakh with the apex court for their travel to native places and the amount can be used as train fare.

The bench asked the petitioner as to why can't he deposit the amount with the state government or PM Cares fund. He said he specifically wants that the amount be used for the travel of migrant workers from Mumbai to Sant Kabir Nagar and other places in Uttar Pradesh.

The top court listed the matter for further hearing on June 12.

On May 15, the top court had sought responses from the Centre and the governments of Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra on a plea of Khan seeking directions to provide safe and secure means of transportation to migrants travelling from Mumbai to their native places amid COVID-19 pandemic.

The apex court asked these states to apprise it about the steps being taken by the concerned authorities to assist these migrants.

Khan's counsel had earlier told the court that there were no means for these people to go back to their native places in Uttar Pradesh from Mumbai and they were unable to access the mechanism laid down to apply for availing transport facility.

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He had said that the government must engage people at lower level and they cannot have just one nodal officer for a district.

The top court had then told Solicitor General Tushar Mehta that there should be officers at the lower levels as well to look into the grievances of migrants.

The plea, filed by Khan, has sought directions to ensure that migrant workers in Mumbai, particularly those hailing from Sant Kabir Nagar in Uttar Pradesh, are safely transported home so that their continuous suffering in their attempts to reach their destination comes to an end.

"The petitioner is moving this court as the migrant workers in Mumbai who have no source of livelihood due to the lockdown are constrained to leave Mumbai and are forced to travel to their home towns in inhuman conditions," the plea has said, adding that he has offered to pay up to Rs 25 lakh towards the cost of travel of migrants belonging to districts Sant Kabir Nagar in Uttar Pradesh.

It has claimed that repeated attempts made by the petitioner to contact the nodal officer appointed by Uttar Pradesh to ensure safe return of migrants from Maharashtra have failed as telephone lines are continuously busy and e-mails have not been answered.

It has also sought a direction to ensure that enough number of trains and buses be dedicated for evacuation of migrant workers. 

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