Delhi HC Issues Notice in Plea Moved by NGO Seeking To Assist In the Cremation of Bodies of COVID19 Victims [Read Order]

The Division Bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan has issued notices to the National Disaster Management Authority and to the Delhi Government.

Filed by an NGO called Mokshda Paryavaran Evam Van Suraksha Samiti, the petition is filed to seek court's permission to assist the authorities in cremating the bodies of COVID victims at Nigambodh Ghat in Delhi.

The present plea has been moved in response to a pending suo moto matter wherein this court had expressed displeasure and anger with the handling of such bodies by the Delhi Government.

While highlighting that it works on Green Crematoriums, the Petitioner has offered the services of 4 persons to assist in the said task.

The court was informed today that the Petitioner NGO can handle 24 cremations at a time. The information regarding the same was also provided to the Secretary of NDMA as well as to the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi.

The Petitioner argued:

'The non-disposal of the bodies of COVID victims due to the non functioning of CNG furnaces at crematoriums is in violation of the rights of the dead.'

The court will next take up the matter on June 29.

The Petitioner NGO was represented by Advocate Gaurav Kumar Bansal

Click Here To Download Order

[Read Order]