SC fines Delhi minister Satyendra Jain for not filing affidavit on chikungunya

The Supreme Court imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on Delhi health minister Satyendra Jain on Monday for failing to file an affidavit related to chikungunya in time at a time the Capital is reeling under the gripe of vector-borne diseases.

The Supreme Court fined Delhi health minister Satyendra Jain Rs25,000 on Monday for failing to file on time an affidavit on what the government is doing to fight Chikungunya, a mosquito-borne disease that has gripped the Capital.

Delhi health minister Satyendra Jain. (HT File Photo)

“You make such tall claims about what you can do. Why can’t you file an affidavit in time,” the court asked Jain.

“You don’t need time when people are dying of chikungunya, you should have worked overnight to prepare the affidavit.”

The court’s rebuke comes at a time the Capital’s hospitals are overflowing with thousands of patients suffering from dengue and chikungunya. Delhi is witnessing one of the worst outbreaks of vector-borne diseases this year – 1,692 cases of dengue and 3,695 cases of chikungunya – with scores of death reported until September 24.