The Centre informed the Delhi High Court on Monday that the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) have been issued by it in the form of detailed guidelines for importation of human remains related to COVID-19.
The Court was hearing a plea seeking directions to the Union of India to repatriate the mortal remains of deceased Kamlesh Bhatt, from Abu Dhabi, UAE to India.
A single-judge bench Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva conducted hearing through video conferencing and allowed the petitioner to withdraw the plea after counsel for the petitioner submitted that, with the intervention of central government, Uttarakhand Government and efforts of Mr. Roshan Raturi, a Social Worker in UAE, the mortal remains of the brother of the petitioner reached Delhi on Monday morning and were transported to Uttarakhand where his last rights were performed.
The petition contended that No Objection Certificate was obtained from the Embassy of India at Abu Dhabi, UAE for shipping the human remains of the deceased to India. The mortal remains of the deceased were flown from Abu Dhabi to Delhi by Flight No. EY-9809. But the same was done without citing any order/notification/circular or furnishing any medical report by a medical officer or giving any explanation or reason to the petitioner who kept praying for handing over the mortal remains of his 24-year-old brother, the plea said.
The petition was filed by the deceased’s brother Mr. Vimlesh Bhatt brother, a resident of Tehri Garhwal in Uttarakhand. He sought directions to authorities to repatriate the mortal remains of deceased Kamlesh Bhatt, aged 24 years, who suffered a cardiac arrest on 17.04.2020 from Abu Dhabi, UAE to India.
Additional Solicitor General Ms. Maninder Acharya appearing for the Union of India submitted that the central government has issued Standard operating procedures in the form of guidelines for Importation for Human Remains related to COVID-19.
However, the court on dismissed the petition as withdrawn and appreciated the efforts put in by the officers of the Central Government, Government of Uttarakhand as also by Mr. Roshan Raturi, a Social Worker at UAE.
-India Legal Bureau