New Delhi, Apr 3: The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Centre to act against the black marketers of masks and sanitizers to deal with the COVID-19 crisis.
“Publish and publicize the helpline numbers for the effective implementation of notification controlling the price of the said Masks and sanitizers. You (Centre) can also act against the the black marketers of masks and sanitizers,” the Apex Court, bench, headed by Justice L Nageshwar Rao, said, while hearing a petition filed by the NGO, Justice For Rights Foundation (JRF).
Amit Kumar Sharma and Prateek Sharma- final year law student from Delhi University had approached the Supreme Court against the black marketing of sanitizers and masks.
The petitioners sought the intervention of the court to ensure the sale of masks and sanitizers on control price as prescribed and have also asked for free distribution of Mask and essential commodities.
The Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta, senior lawyer of the Centre, assured the Apex Court that the government is looking into the said matter and would publish and publicize helpline numbers for the effective implementation of its Notification- controlling the price of the said Masks and sanitizers.
Lawyer for the JRF, S Rajput stated, that though steps have been taken, their implementation has not been timely and effective and the same is required to be done for controlling the spread of this pandemic.
He, further also pleaded that the numbers be made public and that Police official and concerned authorities be advised to take immediate and strict action in this regard of black-marketing and hoarding of masks and sanitizers.
The court has directed the Government, that all necessary steps to publicize the notification and that actions are immediately and strictly taken against the violators.
