An NGO has approached the Supreme Court to uphold the dignity of the dead and penalise profiteers who fleece those affected by COVID-19 for even performing their last rites.
The petition filed by Delhi-based organisation, Distress Management Collective, said it was “primarily due to exorbitant amounts asked for cremation and ambulance services that scores of people decided to put the bodies of their beloved in River Ganga”.
It mentioned how patients were charged triple by ambulance services.
The petition, filed through advocate Jose Abraham, said the court should direct the government to enact a specific legislation or policy to protect the rights of the dead.
It said anti-social elements were swindling COVID-affected families and patients in their hour of dire need during an unprecedented health crisis.
“There is a need to enact a specific legislation that protects the rights of the dead... There is also a need for issuance of guidelines to all the States and Union Territories to prescribe rates for cremations and ambulance services along with penal actions for non-compliance at the earliest,” the petition said.
Mr. Abraham said the petition was filed in the wake of the tragic news of bodies floating in the Ganga.
The plea said the National Human Rights Commission had, on May 14, issued an advisory to protect the dignity of the dead.
The NGO said it had earlier moved the Delhi High Court, which, on May 6, gave it liberty to approach the local bodies concerned with its representations.
However, till date, none of the municipal bodies nor the Centre have responded to its representations on the issue.
“The approach of the municipal corporations to not even respond to the representation affirms that no concrete action will be taken by them to regulate overcharging for cremations/burials of those who have died due to COVID-19,” the petition said.