The Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed the Allahabad High Court’s order to impose lockdown in five cities in Uttar Pradesh namely Prayagraj, Lucknow, Varanasi, Kanpur Nagar and Gorakhpur districts. 

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The bench, in its order, asked the Uttar Pradesh government to submit before the state High Court the various steps and measures it has taken to control the COVID-19 pandemic, within 7 days. 

The Uttar Pradesh government had moved to the Supreme Court against the High Court order, a day after it was announced. 

The matter was presented before a bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde. Mehta and was mentioned under the matter for urgent listing by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta. He further requested the bench to take up the matter during the day as it is related to the five big cities of the state. 

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HC’s order directed the UP government to impose a weeklong lockdown in the five badly hit cities. The lockdown order was passed by a two-judge bench including Justices Siddhartha Varma and Ajit Kumar during the hearing of PIL related to the State’s quarantine centre and treatment of the coronavirus patients. 

It was recently announced by the Additional Chief Secretary, Awanish K Awasthi that a weekend lockdown will be imposed in the state starting from Friday 8 PM and will continue till Monday 7 AM. During the lockdown, only essential services will be allowed and the nice curfew will remain imposed in all districts.