COVID-19 Lockdown: Bombay High Court Permits Man to Travel to Assam: Read Why

The Bombay High Court has permitted a Pune resident to travel byroad to Assam to attend the final rites of his father amid the nationwide lockdowndue to the coronavirus pandemic.

Justice A K Menon on Tuesday heard a petition filed by one Binny Dholani, seeking permission to travel from Maharashtra's Pune city to Lanka town in Assam to attend the last rites of his father, who died of a heart attack on April 5.

Inhis plea, Dholani said he was willing to travel by a cargo flight or any flightavailable, or in any other manner that he may be permitted to travel.

Sincemovements are restricted across the country due to the lockdown, Dholani soughta direction to the authorities concerned to permit him to take a flight or tomake necessary arrangements to enable him to reach Assam.

Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh told the court that it is not just the case of the petitioner, but there are several others who have died, some after contracting the coronavirus, but in no case, people are being permitted to travel by air.

Singh,however, added that the Union government would permit the petitioner to travelby road if he desires.

Necessaryinstructions will be given to the Pune collectorate and appropriate steps willbe taken thereafter to facilitate the petitioner's road travel," he toldthe court.

Justice Menon accepted Singh's statement and directed the petitioner to apply to the authorities concerned for permission to travel by road.

"Once the petitioner decides to seek permission, he is also directed to convey the road route he intends to take to reach his destination, so that the authorities would be aware of the various exit and entry points through which he would pass borders of various states to reach Lanka in Assam, the court said in its order.