IPL 2021: Plea in HC to stop matches in Delhi, use stadium for COVID relief

New Delhi, May 3: A plea was moved in the Delhi High Court on Monday, urging it to direct the Centre, the city government and cricketing bodies BCCI and DDCA to immediately stop the Indian Premier League (IPL) matches scheduled to be held in the national capital.

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The petition, filed by a lawyer, was listed for hearing before Justice Prathiba M Singh, who said it appeared to be in the nature of a PIL in view of the reliefs sought and directed that it be listed before the appropriate bench.

The plea was moved by Karan S Thukral, a lawyer, who has contended that conducting IPL matches in Delhi at a time when the city is grappling with a shortage of beds, oxygen, essential medicines and people are cremating their loved ones is "unreasonable and unjustified".

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He has urged that the IPL fixtures be cancelled in Delhi in the prevailing circumstances and instead, the stadium be used as a COVID care centre for people.

One IPL match has already been held at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium, now called the Arun Jaitley Stadium, on April 28 and the last one is scheduled to be held on May 8. A total of eight IPL matches are to be held in the national capital, the plea, filed though advocate Kapil Kumar, said.

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"On one side, people are dying due to a lack of hospital beds and are seen waiting in queues to cremate their loved ones, while on the other end, instead of applying resources to its optimal use, the respondent(s) have deemed it appropriate to go on and support the conduct of the IPL," Thukral has said in his petition.