A public interest litigation highlighting discovery of thousands of human bodies every year across the country and their unceremonious disposal by dumping them in rivers stirred the Supreme Court on Wednesday to seek response from the Centre and states.
A bench comprising Justices B S Chauhan and F M I Kalifulla asked the governments to respond whether it was possible to draw up a uniform policy to be followed by all states for an honourable disposal of unidentified bodies.
Petitioner Vikas Chandra Guddu Baba through his counsel pointed out that on an average, around 5,000 bodies were found floating in the Yamuna, an issue which had come up during the hearing of the case relating to cleaning the severely polluted river which was once the lifeline of the national capital.
The counsel said in all big rivers, especially Ganga, many bodies were dumped and the bloated half-eaten human remains presented a horrific picture to public.
The bench said at the cremation ghats of Varanasi, considered by Hindus to be the most pious place to be cremated, half-burnt bodies were dumped into the Ganga despite an electric crematorium being set up at high cost. "In the end, it is the mindset," it said before issuing notice to the governments.
The petitioner said the problem was acute as bodies were found at bus-stands, railway stations and hospital premises leading to their dumping by authorities.
According to statistics put on the website of Zonal Integrated Police Network, police in states and Union Territories found 41,734 bodies in the last six years.
Thursday 11 April 2013
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/PIL-seeks-policy-on-disposal-of-unidentified-bodies/articleshow/19484928.cms
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