File status report with pollution data for first five days: High Court to Delhi govt

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The PIL, filed by Karuna Chatwal, alleges the exemption granted to two-wheelers “is against the very objective sought to be achieved”. The plea also states that the exemption to women drivers is “arbitrary and discriminatory”.
A bench of Justice Hima Kohli and Justice Sunil Gaur issued notice to the government and sought its response by January 6. The bench, however, declined to issue any interim directions regarding the policy or stay on the operation of the policy.

The bench also refused to issue any orders on a plea seeking exemption for lawyers from the odd-even policy. The plea by advocate Rahul Agarwal claims lawyers will not be able to work since they are required to carry bulky documents and travel from court to court. Agarwal has also argued that lawyers tender “emergency services” to “protect human rights, life, liberty and property”. The bench, however, pointed out even doctors were not granted exemption under the scheme. “You can take your files in an auto or a taxi,” commented the court and adjourned the hearing to January 6.

In a separate case heard before the single bench of Justice Kohli, private schools in the city were granted relief as the court directed that the government could not coerce them into “volunteering” their fleet of school buses for use between January 1-15. In its plea, the Action Committee of Unaided Private Schools, an umbrella body of about 400 schools in the city, had challenged the government’s “unilateral” and “arbitrary” decision. Delhi government standing counsel Rahul Mehra assured the court the government would not coerce any school to give up its buses.