Taking a strong tide against the Delhi government on its handling of COVID-19 hit patients and victims, the Supreme Court has, on Friday, described the situation in the national capital as horrific, after the visuals emerged from Delhi had shocked and dishearted many across the nation. 

The apex court has taken the matter under suo motu cognizance after former Union Law Minister highlighted how the bodies of COVID-19 victims are getting treated in Delhi. The country's top judicial body said that bodies are being found in the garbage in Delhi and the virus affected patients are treated worse than animals. 

The three-justice bench comprises of Justices Ashok Bhushan, Sanjay Kishan Kaul, and M R Shah had asked the Delhi government to disclose why there has been a sudden decline in the number of COVID-19 tests in the state. 

By quoting Mumbai and Chennai, the apex court questioned the Delhi government on why the testing has come down when Mumbai and Chennai are increasing the tests and further noted that Delhi remains under a horrific situation and no one is taking care of the patients, leaving them to cry.

In a scathing response, the bench said that hospitals are not informing the caretakers and family members if one of the members succumbed to the virus. By citing that increasing the COVID-19 testing is the responsibility of the state as people must be informed on their status, the apex court had directed the Delhi government that it shouldn't deny the tests and it must test people whoever is requesting to undergo testing.

Along with Delhi, the Supreme court has directed the state governments of Maharashtra, West Bengal, and Tamil Nadu to disclose the reports on the cases related to the mishandling to the patients. The court ordered the Chief Secretaries of these states to file their responses in the next hearing on how they have been treating the patients and tackling the pandemic.

By adjourning the hearing to June 17, the apex court bench has also directed the Central government on the measures taken to deal with the COVID-19 patients and bodies of the victims and it also has issued a separate notice to Lok Nayak Hospital (LNJP) in Delhi, which is one of the hospitals treating more COVID-19 patients and sought its response on handling the patients.