Mumbai, 22nd February 2022: The Bombay High Court has termed as illegal the order of the Maharashtra government, in which only people who had taken both doses of the corona vaccine were allowed to travel in the local train.

The Bombay High Court, while hearing the matter on Tuesday, said that it affects the fundamental rights of citizens. The Maharashtra government had issued this order last year.

A division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Dutta and Justice MS Karnik said that the three orders signed by Sitaram Kunte, the then chief secretary of the government, are completely in violation of the procedure laid down under the Disaster Management Rules. The Court further observed that the fundamental rights of the citizens were affected due to the illegal orders.

However, the Maharashtra government’s counsel Anil Antoorkar informed the court that the three pending orders (issued on July 15, August 10 and August 11, 2021) have been withdrawn. Antoorkar said that in the spirit of the observations made by the High Court, the State Executive Committee will hold a meeting on February 25 after which fresh directions will be issued. However, Antoorkar said that we can withdraw the ban (on use of local trains by unvaccinated people or single dose people) or implement it depending on the current situation of Corona.

He said that at this stage I cannot say anything further. The High Court said that they are hopeful and confident that the State Executive Committee will take an appropriate decision on February 25 keeping in view the decline in Corona cases. With this, the court has fixed February 28 for the next hearing of the case.