New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday told a petitioner, who claimed to have suffered complications due to the side-effects of Covid-19 vaccine's first dose, to file a suit for damages instead of pursuing his plea before it, and added, “If you keep your petition pending here, nothing will happen for ten years….”
The matter came up before a bench comprising justices BR Gavai and Augustine George Masih. During the hearing, the bench said, “If you keep your petition pending here, nothing will happen for ten years. At least if you file a suit, you will get some quick relief….”.
The bench was apprised that two separate petitions raising a similar issue are pending in the apex court, and the coordinate benches had issued notice on them.
A counsel, representing the petitioner, contended before the bench that the man was suffering from the adverse effects of immunisation after taking the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The counsel said the petitioner developed a 100 per cent lower limb disability.
“How can a writ petition be filed for that? File a suit for damages….”, Justice Gavai said. The bench said if the petitioner wanted, it would tag his plea with the pending petitions. "At least if a suit is filed, within one year or two years or three years, you will get some relief," the bench observed.
The counsel requested the bench to grant him a week's time to discuss it with his client. The bench has scheduled the matter for further hearing after a week.
The apex court was hearing the plea for a direction to lay down appropriate guidelines for an effective resolution of side effects following immunisation with specific reference to Covid-19 vaccination.
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