NE LEGAL BUREAU
CHENNAI, APRIL 20
Citing incidents of protests by locals against burial of COVID-19 victims – two doctors – in their area over fears of spread of coronavirus, a PIL was filed in the Madras High on Monday seeking to invoke provisions of the stringent Goondas Act against those indulging in such inhuman acts.
A decent burial/cremation was a fundamental right of every citizen of this country guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution and it cannot be denied under the garb of protests, petitioner A P Suryaprakasam, an advocate, said.
Authorities were prevented by residents of a locality in Kilpauk here on Sunday from cremating the body of a neurologist Simon Hercules, who died of COVID-19 infection, he said in the public interest litigation petition, likely to be taken up for hearing this week.
The ambulance in which the body was taken and its driver were attacked, he said adding such people have not only violated law, but also committed a grave crime against humanity.
The failure on the part of the police to register an FIR and arrest such people have emboldened them to deprive the victims of COVID-19 a decent burial, he added.
The advocate pleaded the court to direct the Chennai police Commissioner to invoke provisions of the Goondas Act against those preventing burial of people who die of coronavirus and provide adequate police protection.
Earlier this month, when a doctor from Nellore in Andhra Pradesh died of COVID-19, his cremation was delayed after residents of a city area objected to it. The body had to be taken back to the hospital mortuary and later cremated in another locality, the petitioner said.
Obstructing decent burial of Doctor; GCCP arrests 20 locals
A MESSAGE FROM GREATER CHENNAI POLICE:-
On 19.4.2020 night local residents (20) of Anna Nagar, Chennai were arrested as they prevented police from performing duty in the process of burying the body of Dr. Simon Hercules who died due to corona disease.
— GREATER CHENNAI POLICE -GCP (@chennaipolice_) April 20, 2020
Meanwhile, the Greater Chennai City Police have arrested 20 people in Anna Nagar area in Chennai, as they prevented police from performing duty in the process of burying the body of Dr. Simon Hercules who died due to corona at a private hospital on Sunday.
BJP demands stern action
The state president of BJP L. Murugan on Monday urged the authorities to take stern action against those opposing decent burial of three Frontline Warriors – Two died of Coronavirus in Chennai and another doctor died in Nilgiri but not due to corona.
Murugan urged the party cadres to work in tandem with the authorities to ease decent burial of those who died of COVID-19 here on Monday, the statement added.
