The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to hear a PIL on the outbreak of suspected Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) in Muzaffarpur in Bihar in which more than 100 children lost their lives.
A vacation bench of the Apex Court, headed by Justice Deepak Gupta said, the case will be heard on June 24. Monday.
“We will hear the petition filed by the lawyers-cum-petitioner in connection with AES in June 24,” the bench said.
The petitioners– Manohar Pratap and S Ajmani– in their PIL, claimed that the Bihar government’s measures are inappropriate and not enough in ensuring and stopping the outbreak of the disease in Muzaffarpur. So the Apex Court should pass appropriate directions in this regard.
“Right to Life is a sacrosanct fundamental right guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India. This Hon’ble Court in catena of judgments has accepted it as highest in all fundamental rights. The present act of the negligence by the Respondents who are ‘State’ within the framework of the Indian Constitution has resulted in the death of hundreds of young innocent lives. This continuing act of negligence on the part of the state is consistently violating the fundamental right to life guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India”, the petition reads.
They also stated that kids are dying and the facilities are not enough. “Almost more than 100 kids have died in the AES,” the petition of lawyers claimed and sought immediate arrangement of 500 ICUs and 100 mobile ICUs.
