The Supreme Court on Thursday heard a petition related to arrangements of safe travel for migrant workers' stranded in Mumbai to UP districts of Basti and Sant Kabir Nagar "irrespective of their caste, creed and religion". In the petition, a Mumbai-based lawyer, Sagheer Ahmed Khan, had last month offered to deposit Rs. 25 lakhs with the Apex Court for the safe return of the migrants to their homes from the city.

The Court on Thursday asked Mr. Khan during the course of the hearing, "Are you ready to pay?", to which he responded with an acknowledgement. Mr Khan was then directed by the Court to deposit the money with the Supreme Court Registry. The petitioner has stated that he is depositing the money with the Supreme Court as he is sceptical about paying through the PM Cares Fund. The Court while posting the case for hearing to June 12 said in a statement, "Payment has to be made within a week's time in SC Registry as petitioner was apprehensive to pay in PM CARES Fund. The money should be used for transporting migrants to UP,".

Migrants have been stranded across the nation due to the lockdown imposed in order to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus, which in turn has led to disastrous effects on the economy as well as causing great stress to the lakhs of livelihoods. With many left without jobs or money or a means to get home, migrant labourers turned desperate and took to the roads to walk for thousands of kilometres.