SC: Consider Covid suicides for compensation

The SC on Monday asked the Centre to consider suicide committed by Covid postitive patients as Covid death cases to enable their family members for compensation as the person must have taken the extreme step due to the suffering from Covid infection.

  • Updated On Sep 14, 2021 at 05:48 AM IST
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New Delhi:The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Centre to consider suicide committed by Covid postitive patients as Covid death cases to enable their family members for compensation as the person must have taken the extreme step due to the suffering from Covid infection. A bench of Justice M R Shah and A S Bopanna expressed its satisfaction over guidelines framed by the Centre for issuing Covid death certificates and payment of compensation but said three to four issues needed to be sorted out including bringing those who committed suicide while being Covid positive under its ambit.
"You say that suicide cases would not be covered. We are prima facie of the view that it cannot be accepted. What about persons who committed suicide because of suffering of Covid. Reconsider your decision," the bench told the solicitor general after going through Centre's guidelines

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Mehta readily agreed and assured the court that the governemnt would re-examine the issue. "Cause of death may be suicide but the cause of suicide is Covid and the issue needs to be revisited," the solicitor general submitted.

In an affidavit filed before the top court, the Centre had also submitted that the Office of the Registrar General of India on September 3 had issued a circular to provide a medical certificate of cause of death to the next of kin of the deceased.The Registrar General of India will issue necessary guidelines to chief registrars of all states and Union Territories in this regard. tnn

  • Published On Sep 14, 2021 at 05:48 AM IST
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