Telangana High Court orders to reduce footfall, issue advisory on Holi celebrations

Hyderabad: As part of the preventive measures taken up to control coronavirus, the Telangana High Court on Thursday ordered other courts not to insist on the presence of parties or accused produced from jails. The High Court came to this decision on March 5 to reduce the number of people coming in the court premises as a precautionary measure against the coronavirus.

The High Court further ordered the government to issues advisories to organisations holding Holi celebrations on a large-scale. It further ordered that the state “should also advise people to intermingle, interact and to gather as little as possible.”

The state government has been asked by the High Court to review the permissions that government agencies may have given for public gatherings, assemblies, protests and movements. Adequate advisories need to be issued to schools, colleges, old age homes, orphanages, shelter homes and jails as well, said the court.

Two doctors to be deputed in District Court Complex

The court also said that it had requested the state government to “take concrete steps on a war footing to prevent the occurrence, and in case of occurrence were to take place, to take all precautionary measures against the spread of the said virus.”

The judicial body has requested other courts to ensure basic hygiene within court premises. According to the order, at least two doctors are to be deputed in the District Court Complex and in other places, a required medical team needs to be available on call to attend suspended cases of coronavirus.

The High Court also directed to provide masks to officers, staff and litigants visiting the court and to maintain hygiene using sanitisers.

The court had issued the orders in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Gampa Siddalakshmi, a resident of Manikonda, seeking a ban on Holi celebrations in view of coronavirus.