RACHANA GANGU Vs. UNION OF INDIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Leave granted in SLP(C) No. 16452/2023.

(2.) The COVID-19 pandemic was an unprecedented period of suffering and disruption, which brought grief and hardship to countless families across the country. Many lives were lost, and many households were left to bear sorrow that cannot easily be expressed in words. The present proceedings arise in the aftermath of that difficult time. The Court approaches the issues raised with a deep sense of empathy for the human loss endured during the pandemic, while remaining mindful that the questions before it must be examined with care and within the constitutional limits of judicial determination.

(3.) At the outset, it is relevant to note that a writ petition under Article 32 of the Constitution, registered as W.P.(C) No. 1220 of 2021 (Rachana Gangu & Anr. v. Union of India & Ors.), was instituted before the Supreme Court by parents of young individuals who had received COVID-19 vaccination and are stated to have died thereafter. The petition sought, inter alia, the constitution of an independent expert medical board to inquire into such deaths, the formulation of protocols for early detection and treatment of adverse events following immunization (AEFI), and the grant of compensation.