The first bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy suo motu impleaded SCRB in the case after the Government pleader himself informed the bench that SCRB would be better placed to provide the details as they are in track of such unclaimed bodies.

However, the bench on observing that though the State Government claims to have filed a report, none appears to be on record, said, “The State should file its report in terms of the order dated February 3, 2021 or, at any rate, an additional report indicating the number of dead bodies lying unclaimed at the various mortuaries in Government hospitals. The details should also be obtained from private hospitals in such regard.”

The bench on February 03 had directed the Government Pleader to file an updated status report indicating as to whether the unclaimed bodies, both as regards medico-legal and non-medico legal cases, are buried or cremated and also provide reasons for the above.

The issue relates to a PIL moved by Jeevathma Kaingariya Trust in 2020 that 184 unclaimed/unidentified bodies pertaining to medico-legal cases and 59 bodies pertaining to non-medico legal cases are lying at various Government Hospitals in the State.

It had pointed out in the plea that the practice being followed is to bury the unclaimed / unidentified human bodies and it is better that in respect of the non-medico legal cases, the bodies can be cremated with honour. Based on this, the plea had sought for a declaration that the unclaimed/unidentified human dead bodies lying in mortuaries of various Government Hospitals shall be cremated free of cost in the crematoriums established by Chennai Corporation.