Delhi violence: HC allows disposal of unidentified bodies two weeks after publication of names

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday modified its earlier order on disposal of unidentified bodies recovered after recent incidents of violence in northeast Delhi and allowed the authorities to dispose of unidentified bodies after two weeks from the date of the publication of the names.

Earlier, the High Court asked the government hospitals of the national capital not to dispose of the unidentified body till March 11 and to conduct videography of post-mortem of bodies recovered during violence in Delhi.

A Division Bench of Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Rajneesh Bhatnagar also stated that the authorities shall call persons who have made complaints regarding the disappearance of their kin etc to facilitate identification of unidentified bodies.

The court directed that the respondent (Delhi Police) should call the complainants and inform them that they have recovered unidentified bodies and call them for identification of the said bodies.

During the hearing, police informed the court that the earlier orders regarding the preservation of DNA samples and other directions too have been complied with.

The bench had earlier also asked Delhi Police to publish details including the photographs of all unidentified bodies kept in government mortuaries after violence in Delhi on their official website. It had also directed the police to publish specific information including post-mortem and DNA samples on the official website.

The bench was hearing various petitions related to missing people including one named Hamza. Hamza's brother-in-law, Ansari Mohd Arif, had approached the Delhi High Court with his habeas corpus petition after he went missing during the recent violence in the national capital.

Delhi Government has assured the court that it will facilitate the petitioner to visit the hospital mortuaries.