Plea Filed In Delhi High Court Seeking Directions For Dignified Cremation/ Burial Of Covid-19 Victims

The petition has been filed by Advocate Pratyush Prasanna against the State of NCT of Delhi, Union of India, National Disaster Management Authority and others seeking right to die with dignity for Covid casualties.

It alleges that the massive increase in number of Covid-19 cases and consequent rise in number of deaths has led to "backlog of dead bodies" and even the largest crematoriums in the city are either turning away bodies or are charging higher amounts for cremation.

It is also alleged that the cremation ground for pets are now being used to cremate victims of the deadly virus.

"Due to the backlogs, the bodies are even asked to be kept in AC room for a night as there are no space in the hospital mortuary for the same to be kept or for that matter any other mortuary in the state. This is the kind of trauma a person is going through who has lost a loved one, untimely to a pandemic," the plea further states.

The Petitioner has therefore sought an urgent increase in the number of mortuaries, and also the number of crematoriums across Delhi, making alternative arrangements by converting parks, fields, stadiums etc as cremation site. It is also urged that proper supply of wood and other necessary materials be ensured for carrying out last rites of the dead and other reliefs.

Inter alia, the petition seeks a direction to the Respondent authorities to ensure that there is no jurisdictional issue in cremation and no waiting time for the people who have arrived at the cremation site with the dead body.

Towards this end, it is urged that helpline numbers, mobile applications and dedicated portals be created wherein all the information regarding cremation sites, burial sites etc. and all other necessary information can be collected.

The matter is likely to come up for hearing on May 4.

The PIL is filed through Advocate Snigdha Singh.

In related news, the Telangana High Court recently took exception to the mess that the families of victims of Covid-19 are being made to undergo for cremation of their loved ones.

"Even in death, human bodies are not being treated with the dignity they deserve" observed a Division Bench comprising of Chief Justice Hima Kohli and Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy on being informed that it has become "virtually impossible" to find transport to ferry the dead bodies from hospitals/ homes to the cremation grounds/burial grounds.

Inter alia, the Court was also informed that due to increase in mortality rate, dead bodies are piling up waiting to be cremated due to paucity of space and non-availability of adequate facilities and man power.

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