"We will send you to jail": Delhi High Court warns Delhi Health Minister, Secretary

The Delhi High Court on Thursday warned Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj and Health Secretary SB Deepak Kumar that they will be sent to jail if Court’s orders directing authorities to tackle unauthorised pathology labs are not complied with..A Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora cautioned minister Saurabh Bharadwaj against using the Courts as a pawn in AAP government's disputes with the Health Secretary or the Central government. The Court remarked that the Minister and Secretary were trying to establish one-upmanship but the Court will not tolerate their conduct if its orders continue to be flouted.“Do not do this otherwise, you both will go to jail. We will have no hesitation in sending both of you to jail if it benefits the common man,” the Court warned.It said that both Bharadwaj and Kumar are government servants who cannot have large egos..The Bench issued the stern warning while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by social worker Bejon Kumar Misra seeking closure of all unauthorised pathological and diagnostic laboratories run by unqualified laboratory technicians in the national capital. In February 2024, the High Court had expressed anguish over the government's failure to finalise the Delhi Health Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Bill, 2022 which is also known as the Delhi Health Bill.The Court had then asked the Health Minister and Health Secretary to be personally present on the next date of hearing. .On Thursday, Bharadwaj appeared in person and told the Court that Delhi Health Bill had already been finalised in May 2022. He added that the Court’s indulgence will help the Delhi government get the bill enacted and there are vested interests that do not want the bill to see the light of the day.The Health Secretary was also present before the Court. .ACJ Manmohan warned Bharadwaj that the Court cannot be used as a pawn in the dispute between the Secretary and the Minister. “You think we are a pawn and you will use us? You are playing a game of chess and think we will help you in your strategy? I told you to be careful and to not mess around… We are handling a PIL and you are saying you will give us a draft bill and we should send it to the Centre? We are not politicians but we understand how a politician thinks,” ACJ Manmohan remarked.He added,“You want to send your bill to the Centre, do it. But in the interregnum, you need to put in place some arrangements. We cannot have people getting wrong reports and suffering.”The Bench then asked the Minister and the Secretary to sit together and find a way to address the concerns raised by the petitioner and the Court.“They (Bharadwaj and Kumar) pray for some time to examine the aspects highlighted during the hearing. They assure and undertake to this court that a proper, fair and reasonable system of regulation of pathology labs will be put in place at the earliest,” the Bench recorded in its order.The case will be heard next on April 4.