The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to entertain a plea seeking direction to the Centre to ensure compliance with the MHA order directing landlords to neither ask students and labourers to vacate the premises nor to seek rent for a month during the COVID-19 lockdown.
A bench comprising of Justices Ashok Bhushan, SK Kaul and BR Gavai said that apex court cannot implement the orders of the government.
The petitioners, advocate Pawan Prakash Pathak and A K Pandey, had sought action against the alleged ‘arbitrary and unlawful action’ of landlords demanding rent from students and labourers during the COVID-19 lockdown despite a government order to the contrary.
“Petition is being filled against the arbitrary and unlawful action of landlords in the state of Delhi amid COVID-19 where there is clear instruction issued by the Ministry of Home affairs that in order to maintain the lockdown situation and law and order during COVID-19, order dated March 29, 2020 ”restraining all landlord to forcing labours and students to vacate their premises”, in case they fail to pay rent during this period,” the plea had said.
The plea also stated that many landlords are continuously putting pressure on students to pay their rent and the students are living in constant fear and depressions.
Moreover, the students are feeling helpless in this situation as they cannot demand money from their parents because their parents are also suffering from financial crisis due to the lockdown, the plea added.