The Supreme Court takesย suo moto cognizance of certain reports; which alleged the mishandling of the dead bodies affected by COVID-19. The bench consists of Justices Ashok Bhushan and MR Shah. Moreover, Former Law Minister, Senior Advocate Dr. Ashwani Kumar wrote the Supreme Court. His letter highlighted the incidents of ill-treatment of infected patients and the mishandling of dead bodies. The letter sought the attention of the Chief Justice of India on such tragic incidents.
Incidents Highlighted in the Letter
The letter pointed out the incident which took place in Madhya Pradesh. Notably, the elderly failed to pay the fees for his treatment. In effect, he was tied to the hospital bed. Moreover, in another video, the government workers threw the body of an infected man in the pit. This incident took place inย Union Territory of Puducherry.
Being that, the Senior Advocate also raised concerns over the piling up of dead bodies in the hospitals, non-availability of burial grounds, and non-functioning of electric crematoriums. It violates the Right to Die with Dignity; enshrined under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution. Furthermore, he pleads the Court to issue directions to effectuate the fundamental rights of the citizens. The Court has listed the matter for hearing on June 13, 2020.
