Bombay HC refuses to hear PIL seeking uniform rate of Covid-19 vaccines

 

The Bombay High Court on Thursday refused to hear a PIL seeking a direction to the Serum Institute of India and the Bharat Biotech to sell their COVID-19 vaccines at a uniform rate of Rs 150 (plus GST) per dose.

The public interest litigation (PIL), filed last week by Mumbai-based advocate Fayzan Khan and three law students, had challenged the different rates of COVID-19 vaccines for the Centre and state governments.

The plea was mentioned on Thursday by the petitioner's advocate, Vivek Shukla, before a division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice G S Kulkarni, seeking urgent hearing.

The HC, however, said the petition should have been filed before the Supreme Court which, while taking up suo motu (on its own) cognisance of matters pertaining to COVID-19, had said it would hear all pan-India issues.

"The Supreme Court has said issues that have pan-India effect will be dealt with by them and pricing is a phenomenon applicable all over India. We are not entertaining it (PIL) as the apex court has fairly covered it," the court said. Read More