Supreme Court to frame guidelines to protect good Samaritans

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court today said it will frame broad guidelines for protection of good Samaritans rendering assistance to accident victims after going through the recommendations of the high-level committee appointed by it.

The Committee, headed by a retired judge of the Delhi High Court, will also suggest measures to provide timely help to road mishap victims in view of growing number of such causalities on the highways also.

A bench comprising Chief Justice P Sathasivam and Justice Ranjan Gogoi said the Committee will go through the two writ petitions, one filed by an NGO, Save Life Foundation and another by an individual S Rajaseekaran before giving its final recommendation.

The apex court had in December last year appointed retired judge of the Delhi High Court V S Agrawal to head the committee.

Additional Solicitor General Siddharth Luthra said justice Agrawal has opted himself out after submitting the interim report on health ground.

The bench said it would consider the appointment of some other judge and till then other members would carry forward the work of the Commission.

The Committee also comprises secretaries of the union ministries of Home, Health, Road Transport and Law and Justice or their nominees.

The chief of AIIMS trauma centre, the Director General of Border Road Organisation, secretary of NGO Save Life Foundation and a nominee of St John Ambulance, an aid and ambulance wing of the Indian Red Cross, are also in the panel.

The PILs sought directions to the Centre to put in place a mechanism to provide quick medical help to road accident victims.