State govt rejected lawyers’ request to be allowed to travel by local trains, Bombay HC told

Advocate General Ashutosh Kumbhakoni said state government will consider the request made by the lawyers in future when the situation improves. (File)

THE STATE government Friday told the Bombay High Court that it had rejected requests made by lawyers and their associations to allow them to travel in special local trains in Mumbai region during the Covid-19 pandemic for now. Their representations, the state government said, will be considered on priority as and when the situation improves.

Advocate General Ashutosh Kumbhakoni and Assistant Government Pleader Jyoti Chavan informed the court that in compliance with its July 31 direction, Kishore Raje Nimbalkar, Secretary, State Disaster Management, Relief and Rehabilitation department, on August 5 had passed an order and rejected representations by lawyers and their associations.

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“However, in future when the Covid-19 situation improves, the state government will consider the request made by the lawyers on priority,” Kumbhakoni said.

A division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice A S Gadkari was hearing a clutch of pleas that claimed several lawyers did not own private vehicles and it became difficult for them to commute to the court and so they should be included on the list of persons entitled to travel in special local trains and declared as rendering essential service.