PIL against manual scavenging, SC adjourns to August saying can't compel anyone to file their replies

The Supreme Court on Monday adjourned to August the hearing on a plea filed seeking directions to gauge a number of persons employed either directly or indirectly as manual scavengers and the actual number of dead since its prohibition in 1993 Manual Scavenging.

A Bench of Chief Justice SA Bobde and Justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubraman observed that "it cannot compel people to file their affidavit (replies) on the issue of manual scavenging, and said it will proceed and draw an adverse inference against them."

The court listed the matter for further hearing in the third week of August.

Lawyer Ashima Mandla, appearing for the petitioner, Criminal Justice Society of India (CJSI) said that one manual scavenger died every 5 days.

Advocate Mandla further added that the Pleadings have not been completed, and Notice was issued in February 2019. There are 51 respondents and only 13 counter-affidavits have been filed.

Manual scavenging was declared illegal in 1993.

( With inputs from ANI )