Chhattisgarh: 20 days after death, Christian man buried in place away from his village

Jagdalpur, Jan 28 (PTI) A pastor whose body was lying in a mortuary in Chhattisgarh's Bastar district since January 7 amid a dispute over burial site was finally laid to rest, as per the Supreme Court order, at a designated graveyard for the Christians away from his village.

After fighting a court battle for three weeks, Ramesh Baghel, the pastor's son, buried his father at the graveyard at Karkapal, around 25 kilometers away from his village Chhindwada, on Monday night.

Subhash Baghel, the pastor, died of age-related ailments at Chhindwada on January 7. But some locals opposed the family's wish to bury him in the village.

The Supreme Court on Monday delivered a split verdict on the issue. While Justice B V Nagarathna said the burial of the converted Christian should be held in his family's private agricultural land, Justice Satish Chandra Sharma said the burial should be held at a designated place, away from the village.

As the body had been lying in the morgue for three weeks, the bench said it will not refer the matter to a larger bench, and directed that the burial be held at a designated place.

"I abide by the decision of the Supreme Court. I can't go beyond the decision. I went up to the Supreme Court but all my efforts were in vain," Baghel told a news channel, adding that he felt no justice was done.

"Until one-and-half to two years ago, everything was normal in the village.....but suddenly some people instigated the villagers who then objected to the burial of my father. It was a violation of my constitutional rights. I went to the court against their objection. It is not about my victory or defeat. It is the defeat of humanity," he said, expressing disappointment.

Ramesh alleged that some villagers have started boycotting the Christians. They do not buy anything from the shops runs by Christians or work in their fields, he claimed.

Ramesh moved the Apex Court after the Chhattisgarh High Court disposed of his plea seeking burial of his father in the area allotted for Christians in his village graveyard.

The SC earlier expressed anguish that a man had to move the court over such an issue with the authorities failing to resolve the dispute.

According to Ramesh, Chhindawada village has a graveyard where areas have been demarcated for funerals of tribals, Hindus and Christians. His aunt and grandfather were buried there, he said.

His plea in the SC said they wanted to bury his father in the same area, earmarked for the Christians.

But some villagers aggressively objected, nor did they allow Ramesh to bury the pastor in his family's land, it said. PTI COR TKP KRK