CJI Bobde’s Suo Motu COVID Case Sums Up His Disappointing Tenure

CJI Bobde’s tenure will be remembered only for how little it can be remembered for.

Chief Justice of India Sharad Arvind Bobde retires on 23 April 2021, bringing to an end one of the longest terms in the post in recent years. His final act on the bench was set to be the hearing a suo motu case regarding the COVID-19 crisis engulfing the country, which comes perhaps a year too late.

One year ago, when the country went into lockdown because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and millions of migrant workers trudged home because of the Centre’s failure to bother making any plans for them when shutting down the country, the Supreme Court and CJI Bobde chose to remain non-reactive.