HC seeks response from LG, Delhi govt on panel probing O2 deaths

A bench of justices Vipin Sanghi and Jasmeet Singh issued notice to the authorities on the plea by Riti Singh Verma seeking that all Covid-19 deaths be probed by the expert committee, the functioning of which was stayed by the L-G.

The Delhi high court on Thursday sought the response of the Lieutenant Governor (LG) and the city government on a plea seeking to operationalise the six-member high powered committee to probe into deaths caused by oxygen shortage.

Senior advocate Rahul Mehra, appearing for the Delhi government, said the executive took a decision and constituted the committee on May 27.

A bench of justices Vipin Sanghi and Jasmeet Singh issued notice to the authorities on the plea by Riti Singh Verma, whose 34-year-old husband died of Covid-19 at a private hospital on May 14, seeking that all Covid-19 deaths be probed by the expert committee, the functioning of which was stayed by the L-G.

Verma, through senior advocate Manish Vashisht, contended that the death summary of her husband issued by the hospital is “doubtful”.

Senior advocate Rahul Mehra, appearing for the Delhi government, said the executive took a decision and constituted the committee on May 27. However, the order was stayed by the LG citing that the matter is pending before the Supreme Court.

In her plea, the woman claimed her husband was admitted in a not very severe condition and was a healthy 34-year-old with no comorbidities, who died due to a cardiac arrest as per the discharge summary.

“The discharge summary appears to be copy paste job on the part of the hospital as the deceased was a male and referred as lady. In the manner in which the petitioner’s husband’s case was handled casts a doubt on the hospital dealing with the Covid -19 patients and also the death summary not mentioning if the oxygen was administered at any point of time when the condition started deteriorating,” the plea said.

It contended that her husband’s death is a fit case to be probed by the high powered committee. She pleaded that she has two small children to look after along with the parents and the untimely death of her husband has caused great financial hardship.

The court, while granting time to the city government to file its response, asked it to see whether ₹50,000 ex-gratia--the government promised to family members of those people who died of Covid-19--could be given to the woman, whose husband, the only earning member in the family, died at a young age.