It was reported that 100 beds were being reserved at Delhi Ashoka Hotel as Covid care facility for High Court judges and their families.
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday said it never asked for Covid care facility at a five-star hotel in the capital city. The court's remark came a day after a Delhi government order said as many as 100 beds have been booked at Ashoka Hotel to be used as Covid care facility for High Court judges and their families.
"When did we ask for a 100-bed facility at a five-star hotel? We had only said if a judicial officer or a judge or their family is infected, they should get hospital admission," the high court said.
In an order issued by the sub-divisional magistrate of Chanakyapuri on April 25, it was stated that the COVID facility at Ashoka Hotel will be associated with Primus Hospital.
The order also said that the facility was being set up on the request of the Delhi High Court.
Terming the order as "wrong", the bench said the image being projected as a result of it was that the Delhi High Court judges have taken it for their benefit or that the Delhi government has done it to appease the court.
The high court also did not agree with senior advocate Rahul Mehra's claim that the media played "mischief", saying "the media is not wrong".
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"Can we as an institution say that you create a facility for us.. such and such beds for us. Would it not be patently discriminatory? Media is not wrong ...order is wrong. It's unthinkable...we as an institution would take preference when people are dying on the road," the court added while issuing a notice to the Delhi government over the matter.
