Follow Covid norms, but give enough time for final rites, rules this HC

The Madras High Court has directed the state government to provide adequate time to perform religious rites by the family of deceased Covid-19 patients before cremation or burial.

However, a division bench of Justice M M Sundresh and Justice R Hemalatha made it clear that the Covid-19 protocol to cremate such bodies should not be violated.

The bench passed the order on a suo motu plea initiated by the court following the vandalism and denial of decent burial of a city neurosurgeon Dr Simon Hercules, who died of Covid-19.

When the plea came up for hearing on Monday, senior counsel Ravi Kumar Paul submitted that the health and corporation officials in Chennai are showing undue haste in cremating or burying dead bodies of persons who died of Covid-19.

“Adequate time is not given even to perform the last rites as per their religious beliefs,” the senior counsel said.

Recording the same, the court passed the order and directed the government to ensure presence of police during such cremation to avoid untoward incidents.

The body of Dr Hercules was taken to a Christian cemetery at Kilpauk, but it could not be laid to rest there as residents of the area assembled in large numbers and opposed the burial. They attacked an ambulance carrying the body.

As a consequence, the body was taken to Velangadu and buried. In the process, the ambulance in which the body was taken and the persons accompanying the body were attacked.

There was a law and order and public order problem on account of the said act and as a consequence, some public servants were also injured. The court took suo motu cognizance of the issue and initiated the present PIL.

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