[Coronavirus Lockdown] Tripura HC extends life of interim, bail orders till April 30

While dealing with a suo motu Public Interest Litigation (PIL), the Tripura High Court has issued special directions pertaining to interim orders and bail orders in view of the 21-day Coronavirus lockdown [Court in its own motion v. State of Tripura].

. To this end, the Court has extended all interim orders passed by itself as well as those passed by subordinate courts and tribunals till April 30.

. A Division Bench of Chief Justice Akil Kureshi and Justice S Talapatra held that if interim orders are not extended, the same would cause extreme difficulty to the litigants at large.

. "In number of cases the Courts may have passed interim orders before 20th March, 2020 which would operate till a particular date. If such orders are not extended, the same would automatically stand vacated. This would result into great hardship to the litigants since for want of hearing the interim order would stand automatically vacated. He may also be seek permission to move the concerned Court for extension of interim order, thereby increasing the number of urgent cases which the Courts may have to deal with." Tripura High Court . Therefore, in order to obviate such difficulties, the High Court has issued the following directions:

. "1. All interim orders passed by the High Court and all subordinate Courts including Family Courts, and Tribunals functioning in the State under the supervision of the High Court under Article 227 of the Constitution of India which were subsisting on 20th March, 2020 and which were to inure till a particular date, shall automatically stand extended till 30th April, 2020, unless vacated or modified by a judicial order.

2. All bail, temporary bail, payrole or interim protection in an anticipatory bail application or any other proceeding orders for a limited period which were in operation on 20th March, 2020 and which are likely to expire before 30th April, 2020 shall automatically extend up to 30th April, 2020 unless modified or vacated by a judicial order.

3. If these extensions cause hardship to any party, subject to following the procedure for taking up urgent cases as notified by the high Court, it would be open for such party to press for vacating or modifying such order and it would be open for the concerned Court to examine such request and to dispose it off in accordance with law."

. The Court further directed the Registrar General to communicate the order to all District Judges and also to publish the same in electronic media, as circulation of newspapers has been discontinued in the state.

. In the wake of the Coronavirus outbreak, the Tripura High Court had issued notifications on March 20 and 24, calling for reduction of court work and taking up only urgent cases.

[Coronavirus Lockdown] Tripura HC extends life of interim, bail orders till April 30

Rintu Mariam Biju

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