Delhi LG endorses withdrawal of cases against migrant workers for violating lockdown

It stated that these cases were registered by the Delhi government’s Directorate of Prosecution.

As per the statement, Saxena has also instructed the Delhi Police to file a closure report in 10 related cases including over 100 migrant labourers.

An official stated that taking a humane and reasoned view that these violations committed by poor migrants were trivial in nature and resulted due to extreme distress, LG believed this decision will protect them from “unnecessary harassment and running around.”

In agreement with the Supreme Court’s judgment dated 9 June, Saxena has taken this view considering the helpless condition of the migrants in Delhi during the pandemic, many of whom had lost their livelihoods and could not manage to pay for their rents and basic needs, he stated.

Forty-three such cases under Section (51) of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, and other offences were registered against migrant workers for allegedly breaching measures of the lockdown by moving on the roads.

Of these, 18 have already been settled and decided upon by the courts. In 15 cases, where chargesheets have already been filed in the courts, Saxena has ordered the withdrawal of prosecution, and in the other 10 cases where chargesheets are still to be filed or accused are untraced, the LG has asked the Delhi Police to file a closure report.

(With inputs from PTI)

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