JUDGMENT

Dated this the 1 st day of March, 2021 S.Manikumar, C.J. Taking note of the Covid–19 Pandemic situation and the lockdown ordered throughout the country on 24.3.2020, this court suo motu instituted W.P.(C)No.9400 of 2020 and after hearing Mr.Ranjith Thampan, learned Additional Advocate General, Kerala, Mr.Suman Chakravarthy, learned Senior Public Prosecutor representing the State, Mr.P. Vijayakumar, learned Assistant Solicitor General, representing the Government of India and Public Sector Undertakings owned and controlled by the Government of India, Mr.V.Manu, Senior Government Pleader and Mr.R.Lakshmi Narayan, the then President of the Kerala High Court Advocates' Association, on 25.3.2020, we passed the following

order:

“ 1. On 24 th March, 2020, the Hon'ble Prime Minister of India announced a complete lock down throughout the Country and consequently, the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, issued a Notification

No.40-3/2020-DM-I(A) dated 24 th March, 2020, enclosing the guidelines on the measures to be taken by the Ministries/Departments of the Government of India, State/Union Ter