Bail applicants asked by MP HC to download Aarogya Setu, contribute to PM CARES Fund

The grant of bail and anticipatory bail in the time of COVID-19 has led Madhya Pradesh High Court to take to directing bail/ anticipatory bail applicants to register as "COVID-19 warriors" and to download the Aarogya Setu COVID-19 tracking app to secure their release from prison, reports legal news website BarandBench.com.

In some orders, the applicants have also been directed to deposit contributions to the Central Government's PM CARES COVID-19 fund.

Over the past few days, Justices Sheel Nagu and Rajeev Kumar Shrivastava, either sitting singly or as a Division Bench, have passed several orders wherein the bail applicant has been directed to register as a COVID-19 Warrior to secure release from prison.

Similar conditions have been imposed for allowing certain anticipatory bail pleas as well. As per available case information on the court's website, 22 such orders have been passed.

After ascertaining whether the particular case is fit for the grant of bail or anticipatory bail, the court in these cases has directed the applicant/ petitioner to register themselves with the concerned District Magistrate as a "COVID-19 Warrior" "by entering his name in a Register named as COVID-19 Warrior Register." The court adds that the persons should be assigned the work of COVID-19 disaster management at the discretion of the concerned District Magistrate while taking all prescribed precautions.

All such orders are similarly phrased, with the court adding a note that it expects the petitioner or applicant to "rise to the occasion to serve the society in this time of crises to discharge his fundamental duty of rendering national service when call upon to do so as per Article 51- A(d) of the constitution."

The majority of these orders (16 orders) have been passed by Justice Nagu while sitting singly. Two such orders have been passed by a Division Bench comprising of both Justice Nagu and Justice Shrivastava, whereas Justice Shrivasta has passed at least 4 such orders.

The cases in which such orders have been passed involve a wide range of offences.

In one such order, the court reasons further that such a condition is being incorporated "so that the human resource in shape of the petitioner can be utilized for the betterment of the society and to ward off the crisis."

In another set of orders passed in petitions concerning bail, anticipatory bail, suspension of sentence and criminal revision, the downloading of the Central Government's Aarogya Setu COVID-19 tracking app has been included as a condition to allow the plea.

As per available case information, over the past two days (Monday and Tuesday) 30 such orders have been passed by Justices Anand Pathak and Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari while sitting singly. Whereas Justice Pathak has passed 18 such orders, Justice Dharamadhikari has passed 12.

In one case, the court has clarified, that the applicant will have to install Aarogya Setu App, "if it can be downloaded in his phone."

In some of the orders passed by Justice Pathak, the court has also directed the applicant to deposit money to the PM CARES Fund as a condition for release. The donations directed to be made range from Rs 1,000 and Rs. 2,500 to Rs 10,000 and Rs 15,000.

Some of these orders also record that the applicants were willing to serve the national cause by making such donations and downloading the app.