Pooja vs State of GNCT of Delhi

Judicial Analysis Court Copy Headnote Facts Arguments Court observation

2023 Supreme(Del) 5950

PRATHIBA M. SINGH
Pooja – Appellant
Versus
State of GNCT of Delhi – Respondent

Advocates appeared:
Mr Anand Prakash Sharma, Advocate, for the Petitioner.
Mr. Satyakam ASC, for the Respondent.

JUDGMENT

Prathiba M. Singh, J. (Oral) - This hearing has been done through hybrid mode.

2. The present writ petition has been filed on behalf of the petitioner who is the wife of late Constable Amit Kumar who died on account of COVID-19 on 5th May, 2020.

3. Vide Cabinet Decision No.2835 dated 13th May 2020, the GNCTD decided that any person including doctors, nurses, paramedical staff, etc. who is deployed for COVID-19 duties, if expires by contracting the COVID-19 during discharge of the duty, their family shall be paid an ex-gratia amount of Rs.1 crore.

4. Ld. Counsel for the petitioner relies upon a tweet by the Chief Minister of Delhi wherein the Petitioner's husband's contribution during COVID-19 was noticed, and it was announced that his family would be given an ex-gratia amount of Rs.1 crore.

5. The Petitioner submits that the said amount has not been given, even one year after the said tweet. Accordingly, the present petition was filed seeking a writ of mandamus directing the Respondents to release the aforesaid ex gratia amount of Rs.1 crore as promised by them.

6. Vide order dated 14th December 2022, it was directed as follows:

"5. Ld. counsel for the Petitioner submits that the