NHRC issues notice to Chhattisgarh govt over unclaimed bodies in Raipur hospital mortuary

New Delhi, Sep 18 (PTI) The NHRC on Thursday said it has issued a notice to the Chhattisgarh government over reports that several unclaimed dead bodies had piled up in the mortuary of the Raipur district hospital, as allegedly no place was allotted for their last rites.

In a statement, the National Human Rights Commission observed that the dead "also deserve last rites with dignity" in accordance with the religion they espoused.

The NHRC has "taken suo motu cognisance of a media report that a number of unclaimed dead bodies are piled up in the mortuary of the district hospital, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, as there is no place allotted for their last rites, which are being performed by an NGO", it said.

The commission also observed that the content of the media report, if true, raises a "serious issue of violation of human rights as the dead also deserve the last rights with dignity".

Three unidentified bodies allegedly have not been sent even for post-mortem examinations since last week, the statement said.

Accordingly, it has issued a notice to the chief secretary of the government of Chhattisgarh, seeking a detailed report in two weeks, the rights panel said.

The commission also issued an advisory in 2021 for upholding the dignity and protecting the rights of the dead. It said that it is a well-accepted legal position that the right to life, fair treatment and dignity, derived from Article 21 of the Constitution of India, extends not only to the living persons but also to their dead bodies.

According to the media report, carried on September 9, the district administration allocated three acres of land for the last rites of unclaimed bodies about three years ago, where the last rites of over 800 unclaimed bodies were performed by the said NGO, the statement said.

"Reportedly, the land could be reused after refilling of the soil, but no action has been taken by the district administration so far," it added. PTI KND MPL MPL