Delhi Police to form rules on abandoned body disposal

The Delhi Police on Wednesday informed the Delhi High Court it has considered framing of guidelines for disposal of abandoned bodies, and videography and photography of the last rites of the unattended bodies.

The police in an affidavit filed before a Division Bench headed by Justice G.S. Sistani said a meeting was held under the Chief Secretary's chairmanship on March 28.

At the meeting, it was decided that the Municipal Corporation would be in-charge of cremation. "The municipal corporation concerned may also be directed to conduct the videography/photography of the cremation," the police said.

The cremation would take place in the presence of investigation officer and expenses would be borne by the municipal corporation, the police said.

The court was hearing a petition filed by Ramanuj Pursotam whose son was creamated by the Faridabad police and nothing was kept as proof.

Pursotam's counsels Shashank Deo Sudhi and Bijender P. Kumar told the court his son was missing since December 4, 2017. After three months, the petitioner came to know through photographs that his son had been cremated.

In March 2018, the police called Pursotam for identifying the photograph of the body cremated on December 12, 2017. The police told him his son's body was recovered on December 8, 2017 and an autopsy was conducted at a hospital on December 10, 2017. But Pursotam was not told how his son was cremated.

Pursotam pleaded before the court to issue direction to the police to preserve the ashes and physical identity, including clothes and valuable belongings, of the abandoned bodies for a reasonable period of time for handing them over to the deceased's family.

He also requested the court to issue direction to publicise or advertise the request for identification of the abandoned bodies, lying unattended, through all modes of communication, including all major newspapers and news channels.

Pursotam said currently unidentified bodies were being cremated in a mechanical manner without completing even the mandatory formalities. He also sought a provision to penalise the police if they deny registering FIR in case of such incidents.

After Pursotam's son went missing, he went to Jaitpur Police Station in Delhi but the police did not act. Despite repeated requests, the police did not even register a complaint, said the petitioner.

The court has listed the matter for further hearing on May 29.

--IANS

ak/mag/pcj