The Allahabad High Court on Friday dismissed a petition seeking directions to the government to cremate and dispose of bodies buried near the Ganga at different ghats in Prayagraj.
A Bench of Chief Justice Sanjay Yadav and Justice Prakash Padia observed that after going through the petition, they were of the view that “the petitioner has not done much research work in respect of rites and customs, which are prevalent among various communities living along the bank of river Ganga”.
The court refused to entertain the petition and allowed the petitioner to withdraw it “with a liberty to file fresh petition after causing inquiry and research in respect of the practice of last rites in various communities which are residing along the bank of Ganga”.
The petition filed by Advocate Pranvesh had also sought directions to the state “to prevent/stop the burial of dead bodies near Holy River Ganga”.
Last month, decomposed bodies had been found floating along the Ganga in several districts, including Ghazipur, Prayagraj and Ballia, raising an alarm among locals over fear that the bodies belonged to those who died of Covid-19.
The government had, however, attributed the bodies being found in the river to a ritual followed by some communities, in which bodies are disposed of in the river. After the bodies were found, the state government had sent directions to the district administration and police to ensure that bodies are not thrown in the river after deaths and that funds for cremation of people from poor families must be released.