Centre's guidelines followed in disposal of COVID victims' bodies, Tamil Nadu govt tells HC

In its reply to the Madras HC on a PIL regarding the disposal of bodies of COVID 19 deceased, the state government has informed that they have been following the protocol and guidelines issued by the Centre in this regard.

Chennai (Tamil Nadu):The Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday informed the Madras High Court that protocol and guidelines issued by the Centre are followed by the state in disposing of bodies of those who died due to COVID-19.

A submission to the above effect was made by the Government Pleader (GP) Jayaprakash Narayan when the PIL, taken up by the court on its own, came up before the Division Bench, comprising of Justice MM Sundresh and R. Hemalatha.

When the bench questioned Jayaprakash about the protocol followed for the COVID 19 deceased patients, the GP submitted, "Already Government of India, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare issued guidelines and protocol to followed for cremation and burial of the COVID 19 deceased patients, based on which Government of Tamil Nadu issued certain guidelines to be followed about packing and for transporting the body to the burial ground."

The Bench posted the PIL to July 10 after the GP submitted that he will produce the copies of the guidelines to the court.

The earlier bench of Justice M. Sathynarayanan and Justice M. Nirmal Kumar had taken up the PIL on its own, taking cognizance of the incident of some people preventing the burial of a doctor who died of COVID-19 in April.

The bench had observed that right to have a decent burial was a constitutional right.

The matter relates to an attack on the ambulance driver and others who accompanied the body of Dr.Simon Hercules who died of COVID-19 by the local people at Kilpauk Cemetery because of which it was buried in Velangadu crematorium.

(PTI report)