The Delhi High Court on Tuesday said it has not made any request for creating COVID-19 facilities for its judges, staff and their families in a five star hotel.

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday said it has not made any request for creating COVID-19 facilities for its judges, staff and their families in a five-star hotel in the capital city, directing the state government led by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to “take corrective steps immediately”.

Taking suo motu cognisance of the news reports, which said that on Delhi High Court’s request, 100 rooms of Ashoka Hotel in Delhi have been converted into a COVID health facility for the high court judges and it’s staff,  a bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli said, “We have not made any such request for taking over facilities of a five star hotel.” 

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The order, which the court said is “wrong”, was issued by the sub-divisional magistrate of Chanakyapuri on April 25 to set up the  COVID facility at Ashoka Hotel on the request of the Delhi High Court. Slamming the state government, the court said, “When did we ask for a 100-bed facility at a five-star hotel? We had only said if a judicial officer or a judge or their family is infected, they should get hospital admission. Our concern is with respect to judicial officers in lower judiciary who have to hold court. We have already lost two judicial officers.” 

The furious court asked the Delhi government if it was done to “appease us”. 

The explanation offered by the Kejriwal government that the media played “mischief” was rejected by the court. “The media is not wrong, media only pointed out what was wrong in the order and it was the SDM’s order which was wrong,” the court said.

Delhi, like the rest of the country is facing the deluge of Covid-19 cases. The situation has led to shortage of beds, medicines and life-saving oxygen. Hospitals in Delhi have been sending out SOS for oxygen and the High Court has been hearing petitions by many of them.

On Monday evening, Delhi reported the most number of deaths in a day – 380 – and over 20,000 fresh cases. 

Taking suo motu cognisance of the news reports which said that 100 rooms of Ashoka Hotel in national capital have been converted into a COVID health facility for judges of Delhi High Court on its request, a bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli said, “No communication has been made to anyone in this regard”.