SC junks plea seeking addendum to NDMA post research claiming virgin coconut oil dissolves Covid-19 virus

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday junked a plea by a lawyer seeking directions to make a certain addendum to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) following research claiming that virgin coconut oil dissolves Covid-19 virus.

A bench comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and M.M. Sundresh noted that the petitioner, who appeared in-person, wants certain addendums to the NDMA, based on a claim that a respectable scientist who had conducted research on a solution for Covid-19, claims virgin coconut oil dissolves the virus. "We cannot let every person who thinks he has a solution to the virus to come up in a petition under Article 32", said the bench. The petitioner had made the prime minister and others as respondents in the petition.

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The petitioner Krishnaswamy Dhanabalan, who claimed to be an advocate enrolled with the Karnataka Bar Council, also sought top court's intervention to direct the Centre to take action against China for spreading Covid-19, as a biological weapon. The bench said: "To say the least, this is misconceived...as it is for the elected government to take action, if any action has to be taken..."

In another prayer in the petition, the petitioner sought court to pass direction to make certain addendums to NDMA, based on research claiming virgin coconut oil dissolves the virus.

Dismissing the plea, the bench said it was convinced that the petitioner was pulling off a publicity stunt by filing such a petition, however it allowed the petitioner to make suggestions before the concerned authority. "Nothing had prevented him from making suggestions to the appropriate authority...," noted the bench.

During the hearing, the petitioner, seeking admission of the plea, submitted that the petition is in the interest of the people amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

At the beginning of the hearing, the bench told the lawyer, "What kind of petition is this? You are a lawyer; you say that India has some right to control China...What is going on?" After a brief hearing in the matter, the top court dismissed the plea.

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