Teesha
A plea was filed by Lawyers Pradeep Yadav and Vishal Thakre, to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) in order to conduct an investigation into the 100 corpses found floating in the Ganga River in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
The Plea urges the Apex Court to issue directions to the state government concerned to conduct individual autopsies of the dead bodies, in order to know the exact cause of death.
The petitioner emphasized that the recovery of decomposed bodies from the river is a grave concern, noting that the river is a source of water for many areas, and in case the bodies are infected with COVID-19, there is a potential of spread of infection through the water in the villages of both Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
Citing the Judgement in Pt Parmanand Katara case, wherein the Apex Court held right to dignity and fair treatment under Article 21 is extended to the body after death too, the petition highlighted the gross violation of the same.
The Plea also alleges that the state has failed to monitor the crematorium which exorbitantly people for the last rites. It further reflects that the state has not taken any effective step to purify the water to date which is a violation of Article 21.
“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.