Image Courtesy:deccanchronicle.com
The Supreme Court dismissed a petition seeking direction to Centre to approach the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against China. The petitioner prayed that the direction to the Centre should be for approaching ICJ for 600 billion USD as damages from China
Advocate Jaya Sukin appearing for the petitioner said that the petition should be considered as a representation by the government itself. The plea, filed by Madurai resident K K Ramesh, had alleged that COVID-19 has been “deliberately created by China as biological weapon against India”. The plea stated that since individuals cannot approach the ICJ, the Centre should be directed to do the same as per Article 93(1) of the UN Charter.
The plea also referred to the miseries of migrant workers, how they were stranded and also the disastrous impact on the economy caused due to the virus. It also raised the issue how the virus did not spread to other cities of China as much as it spread to the rest of the world including India.
The Supreme Court bench comprising CJI SA Bobde and Justices Dinesh Maheshwari and AS Bopanna refused to entertain the PIL.
Related: