NE NEWS SERVICE
CHENNAI, APRIL 26
Blocking the ‘dignified’ burial or cremation of people, who had died of a notified disease in Tamil Nadu will now attract a three year prison term, an ordinance promulgated by the state government here on Sunday said.
கொரோனா தொற்றால் உயிரிழந்தவர்களை கண்ணியமான முறையில் அடக்கம்/ தகனம் செய்வதை தடுக்கும் செயலில் ஈடுபடுவோர் மீது,
தமிழ்நாடு பொது சுகாதாரச் சட்டம் 1939, பிரிவு -74ன் படி அபராதம் உட்பட குறைந்தபட்சமாக ஓராண்டு சிறை தண்டனையும் அதிகபட்சமாக மூன்றாண்டுகள் வரை சிறை தண்டனையும் விதிக்கப்படும். pic.twitter.com/x3TO0lWfra
— CMOTamilNadu (@CMOTamilnadu) April 26, 2020
The move comes in the wake of public protests against the burial of two doctors who died of COVID-19 in the city recently, with one of them turning violent where agitators even attacked health workers and civic body staff.
According to the ordinance, blocking or attempting to block the “dignified burial or cremation of those who had died of a notified disease” has been made a criminal offence, an official release here said.
Under section 74 of The Tamil Nadu Public Health Act, 1939, those indulging in such acts will have to face a minimum jail term of one year while the maximum award will be three years, the release added.
The offence will also carry a fine, it said but did not specify. In two separate incidents recently, two doctors died of coronavirus in the city but locals protested their burial on grounds of fears of spread of the pandemic.
On both occasions, the mortal remains were buried elsewhere after officials could not perform the formalities in the originally selected localities.
Last week, an orthopaedic surgeon had to bury his associate, a neurosurgeon who died of COVID-19, in the middle of the night using bare hands and a shovel at a crematorium with the help of two hospital ward boys after the undertakers fled when a mob protesting the interment, attacked and chased them away.
As many as 21 people were arrested in connection with the incident, even as the City Police had warned of invoking the stringent Goondas Act against those preventing burial or victims of COVID-19.
