JOIN USSC asks UP govt to file status report on 57 girls found infected with Covid-19 in Kanpur's child care institution
The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Uttar Pradesh government to file a status report on 57 minor girls, having been tested positive for Covid-19 in a shelter home in Kanpur.
A bench presided over by Justice L Nageswara Rao sought to know from the state government if the news item stating the children were afflicted with the virus was correct.
The court gave the state government time till Friday to file its response, as news reports emerged claiming of 57 Covid-19 positive girls in shelter home, five were pregnant and one HIV positive.
Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu government, led by Additional Advocate General Balaji Srinivasan, informed the court that 35 out of 57 children, who were infected with the Covid-19 in a protection home at Royapuram, Chennai, have been cured.
The court appointed advocate Gaurav Agrawal as the amicus curiae and posted the matter for consideration on Monday.
It also noted some states including Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab and Tripura were yet to file their response in the Suo Motu matter.
On April 3, the court has Suo Motu directed the authorities to consider releasing on bail all those children, who were kept in observation homes on being found in conflict with the law, as Covid-19 was intensifying in the country.
The court had also said that urgent measures need to be taken on priority to prevent the spread of the virus to Child Care Institutions (CCIs).
On June 11, the court asked all the state governments to spell out measures being undertaken to prevent infection of Coronavirus among juveniles kept at the protection homes.