SC stays hearings in HCs on Covid vaccines, issues notices on pleas of manufacturers

New Delhi, Mar 18: The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed the ongoing hearing related to COVID-19 vaccines in the Delhi and Bombay High Courts. It also sought responses from the Centre and others on pleas of the Serum Institute and Bharat Biotech seeking transfer of the cases from the high courts to the apex court.

A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde took note of the pleas of the two firms that the high courts are conducting parallel proceedings on vaccine related issues and they need to be transferred to the top court for an authoritative judgement.

The bench also transferred to itself the vaccine-related case going on in the Delhi High Court.

The vaccine manufacturing firms have said different high courts are seeking data on how many vaccines are produced and when they will give vaccines to all.