Supreme Court asks Centre to consider suicide by positive patient as Covid death for compensation

The Supreme Court has asked the Centre to consider the cases of suicide committed by Covid19 postitive patients as Covid death for enabling their family members government compensation.

The top court on Monday said the Covid19 victim, who commits suicide, must have taken the extreme step due to the sufferings from Covid infection.

The Centre has framed guidelines for issuing Covid death certificates and provide compensation to the family members of the victims.

While lauding the Centre’s initiative, a bench of the Supreme Court comprising Justices MR Shah and AS Bopanna said three to four issues needed to be sorted out, including bringing those who committed suicide while being Covid positive under its ambit.

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“You say that suicide cases would not be covered. We are prima facie of the view that it cannot be accepted. What about persons who committed suicide because of suffering of Covid. Reconsider your decision,” the bench of the apex court told the solicitor general of India Tushar Mehta after going through the Centre’s guidelines.

According to a media report, Mehta agreed and assured the top court that the central government would re-examine the issue.

“Cause of death may be suicide but the cause of suicide is Covid and the issue needs to be revisited,” the solicitor general said.

The Centre in an affidavit filed before the Supreme Court said the office of the Registrar General of India (RGI) issued a circular on September 3, 2021 to provide a medical certificate of the cause of death to the next of kin of the deceased.

As per the government guidelines, deaths occurring due to poisoning, suicide, homicide and deaths due to accident, among others, “will not be considered as Covid19 deaths even if Covid19 is an accompanying condition”.

According to the guidelines: “Covid-19 cases which are not resolved and have died either in hospital settings or at home, and where a medical certificate of cause of death has been issued to the registering authority will be treated as a Covid-19 death.”