No concession of Anticipatory bail to the accused involved in the hate campaign against vaccination drive: Court
JKUT (Kulgam), July-01-2021-( JNF):- Principal Sessions Judge Kulgam Tahir Khurshid Raina today while dismissing the pre-arrest bail application of Ghulam. Jeelani Rather who halted the vacacinatuon drive, holds that no concession of Anticipatory bail to the accused involved in the hate campaign against vaccination drive.
While rejecting the pre-arrest bail application Principal Sessions Judge Kulgam Tahir Khurshid Raina observed that as rightly opined by WHO “but it’s not vaccines that will stop the pandemic, its vaccination”. It is further said “safe and effective vaccines are a game – changing tool; but for the foreseeable future we must continue wearing masks, cleaning our hands, ensuring good ventilation indoors, physically distancing and avoiding crowds.”
Court further observed that it is very unfortunate that while on one hand, the govt. is making painstaking efforts to ensure the safety of the people against the deadly virus by vaccination drives, the rumor mongers like the petitioner are acting as stumbling black in this lofty endeavor of the government. By spreading rumors and disinformation campaign against the vaccination, the petitioner and their ilk are creating lot of fear psychosis and confusion among the general public about the vaccination. Such unsubstantiated and profane act of the petitioner is not only grossly illegal but amounts to pushing the life of the people in peril, who, if not get promptly vaccinated, may fall prey to the deadly virus. Let’s not forget the melancholic situation our country faced very recently, on account of second wave of the pandemic, which consumed lacs of precious human lives. And as per the experts, there is every likelihood of third wave which can be more fatal as compared to second wave. And to avoid its fatal impact the only remedy available and suggested by the experts is to get more and more people vaccinated. At the same time, it has been witnessed in print and social media that at various places the health workers have to face stiff resistance from the people during vaccination drive and even have been subjected to assault at same places. This is all because of myths, rumors and canard being spread by the people like the petitioner herein and on account of it the people, especially living in the rural areas are getting skeptical and cynical about vaccination. It amounts to putting the large chunk of people in jeopardy and at the same time to defeat the govt. in its drive of achieving the target of fully vaccinated country and finally to save the countrymen of the brutal effect of any further wave of the pandemic.
Court while dismissing the bail application further observed that Rumors are carried by haters, spread by fools and accepted by idiots’. Let a message travels in the length and breadth of our society at large that no such unbecoming and illegal attempt of rumor mongers will be tolerated who are creating a hurdle in the way of vaccination drive. They will be dealt strenuously under law. Moreso, such haters do not deserve concession of anticipatory bail, rather their free movement and free speech is a threat to the society at large which requires to be circumscribed in accordance with the law for the general good of the society. JNF