चंडीगढ़ में अनपहचाने शवों की पहचान को तेज़ करने की मांग पर हाई कोर्ट ने यूटी को दिया नोटिस

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has put UT, Chandigarh, on notice on a petition filed in public interest seeking a quicker process for identifying unclaimed bodies and completing their last rites. The Bench of Chief Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Justice Rohit Kapoor also granted UT time to file its reply before fixing the matter for further hearing on November 30.

The Bench, on a previous date of hearing, was informed that Chandigarh Police has already framed a comprehensive policy for the identification and dignified handling of unidentified bodies. Counsel Himanshu Malik, representing the UT Administration and Chandigarh Police, submitted that a detailed scheme for the purpose had already been framed. A copy was also furnished to petitioner-in-person HC Arora.

The petitioner had moved the court by filing a petition in public interest for directing the Chandigarh Administration and other respondents to take steps for expediting publication of notices in the newspapers for identification of unclaimed bodies so that further process of conducting postmortem examination, cremation and the immersion of ashes in a religious manner might take least possible time.

He added that the respondents, in his opinion, were taking too much time in publishing notices in newspapers resulting in decomposition of bodies and the emission of foul smell. This, he added, was definitely an insult to the body and “should not be permitted in a society governed by the rule of law”.

Arora had added that this amounted to showing disrespect to the bodies “contrary to various judgments of the Supreme Court of India and High Courts”.

Malik placed before the Bench a standing order passed by the Chandigarh Police laying down an elaborate procedure for dealing with missing persons, children and unidentified bodies. Among other things, it provided for immediate police action, preservation of an unidentified body in a government mortuary for at least 72 hours, circulation of photographs and identification notices, fingerprint verification and uploading of information on ZIPNET.

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