New Delhi: A plea has been moved in the Supreme Court to constitute a special investigation team (SIT) to conduct the investigation into over 100 corpses, found floating in the Ganga river in Bihar’s Buxar, and Uttar Pradesh’s Ghazipur and Unnao districts, amid the ongoing second wave of Covid-19 pandemic.
The plea, filed by lawyers Pradeep Yadav and Vishal Thakre, urged the top court to issue direction the state government cconcerned to conduct post-mortem of the dead bodies.
“The act of the states is inhuman as they failed to provide facilities for decent burial/cremation of dead bodies and to keep a check on pollution of the holy river, Ganga, by such indecent act either of individuals or of authorities,” the petition said.
The petitioners emphasised that the recovery of decomposed bodies from the river is a matter of serious concern, noting that the river was a source of water for many areas, and if these bodies were of Covid-19 patients, then there is a possibility of spread of infection through water in the villages of both Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
The petitioners also cited the Pt Parmanand Katara case, wherein the apex court had held that the right to dignity and fair treatment under Article 21 of the Constitution, was not only available to a person during lifetime, but also to the body after death.
The plea also alleged that in the present case, the state has also failed to monitor the crematoriums, which exorbitantly charged people for last rites during the pandemic.
The petitioners have claimed that the state governments, till date have not taken any effective measure to purify the water, and this was a violation of Article 21.