COVID-19: Gauhati HC extends interim orders in 4 NE states. Details here

GUWAHATI: The Gauhati High Court has extended all ineterim orders by various courts of Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh till June 1 in the light of surge in COVID-19 cases across the four states.

The Gauhati High Court observed that due to surge in COVID-19 cases and restrictions to contain the virus have made it difficult for the lawyers and litigans to approach court.

A full bench comprising Chief Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia and Justices N Kotiswar Singh and Manash Ranjan Pathak, filed a suo motu PIL on Sunday and issued the orders on Monday.

"Considering that there is a daily surge of COVID-19 cases in the State of Assam as well as in Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh, the Chief Justice has constituted this Full Bench suo motu to tackle the plight of litigants caught in this extraordinary situation," a part of the order read.

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The HC had passed a series of instructions under Article 226, read with Article 227, of the Constitution, the order said, "In all matters, where interim orders of this Court and of the Courts and Tribunals subordinate to it were in force till April 19, 2021, but have expired since then or are likely to expire by June 1, 2021, such orders shall unconditionally stand extended and/or deemed to have been extended till June 1, 2021."

"This shall include all such orders of the Outlying Benches and the Courts and Tribunals subordinate therein," it read further.

The order directed that in cases where the accused or convict is on interim bail, short term bail or anticipatory bail which expired before April 19, 2021 to June 1, 2021, the person may not surrender and his or her bail orders will be effective till May 31, 2021.

The full bench had fixed May 31 as their next working day for hearing the matter.Earlier to contain the spread of the virus, the court had put some restrictions in place including working with minimal staff across the four states.

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