The Delhi High Court on Friday asked Delhi Government to file a status report in the case related to violation of human rights while handling the bodies of people who died due to COVID-19 infection in an inhumane way.
A division bench comprised of Chief Justice D.N. Patel & Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal while hearing the matter in which Suo Moto cognizance has been taken by the Court yesterday through video conferencing directed that the status report be filed by 2nd June 2020.
Delhi Government informed the Court that we are authorizing Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital to transfer the bodies to crematoriums in Punjabi Bagh and Panchkuan instead of only sending them only to Nigam bodh Bagh for cremation and are extending the working hours of the cremation centers from earlier 9 A.M. – 4 A.M. to 7 A.M. – 10 P.M.
It has also been informed to the Court that wood based standard traditional cremations have been authorized along with the electric and CNG based cremation system. We have also provided PPE Kits to all the Workers at the cremation centers handling bodies and the same are being provided for the dead bodies.
Earlier on the last hearing the division bench of Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw and Justice Asha Menon observed that “We, as citizens of Delhi, are pained at the aforesaid state of affairs and as judges find the situation as reported and if true, to be highly dis-satisfactory and violative of the rights of the dead.”
-India Legal Bureau