Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh), May 5 (TIWN) Taking note of stories viral on social media of hapless citizens begging for an oxygen cylinder to save the life of their near and dear ones, the Allahabad High Court has termed it as a 'criminal act, no less than genocide'.

A Bench of Justices Siddhartha Varma and Ajit Kumar asked “how can we let people die in this way” when medical science had advanced so much that heart transplantations and brain surgeries were now a reality. The judges made the observations while hearing a PIL, and said they “find it necessary to direct for immediate remedial measures to be taken by the government”.  The court asked the DMs to look into the news reports within 48 hours and submit their reports by Friday, the next date of hearing. The officials were also instructed to appear for the hearing.