The Chief Justice has called a meeting with the Supreme Court Bar Association president
Six Supreme Court judges are down with swine flu and a meeting had been held with the Chief Justice to explore remedial measures, a senior judge said today in court. Hearings in two constitution bench cases, including a nine-judge bench on the Sabrimala religion versus rights case, have been affected because of judges falling sick.
"Six judges are down with H1N1 virus," Justice DY Chandrachud announced in court, adding that all judges had a meeting with Chief Justice SA Bobde to discuss the situation. One judge, Sanjiv Khanna, came to the court wearing a mask, reported news agency IANS.
Justice Chandrachud said he had asked Chief Justice Bobde to direct the inoculation of those working in the Supreme Court.
The Chief Justice also met with the Supreme Court Bar Association president Dushyant Dave. Justice Bobde "is very concerned and said the government was setting up a dispensary in the Supreme Court for inoculation and vaccination," said Mr Dave after the meeting.
Mr Dave told IANS that some foreign delegation members who participated in a judicial conference in the Supreme Court complex recently were infected by the virus.
Last week, the Indian army of German software group SAP said it had shut down all offices in the country for sanitisation after two of its employees in Bengaluru tested positive for the H1N1 virus.
The symptoms of H1N1 include fever, chills and sore throat and is similar to seasonal influenza but has seen higher fatality rates among healthy young adults and higher incidence of viral pneumonia.