The Supreme Court on Friday declined to entertain a plea seeking directions for transporting migrant workers back to their homes. A lawyer, while making the plea, had referred to the death of some migrant labourers in train and road accidents while they were walking back home. A bench of Justices L Nageswara Rao and Sanjay Kishen Kaul wondered how anyone could stop the death of anyone sleeping on railway tracks.
The response came after the petitioner referred to the death of 16 migrant workers in Maharashtra’s Aurangabad last week after a train ran over them while they were sleeping on the track. The court said it is up to the states to take action and the court cannot interfere based on newspaper clippings. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submitted that states are providing interstate transport but if people get angry and start on foot instead of waiting for the transport to be provided, nothing can be done.