HC admits PIL seeking committee to dispose of unclaimed bodies

The Madras High Court today admitted a PIL, which sought constitution of a core committee to remove unclaimed bodies from government hospital mortuaries, properly identify and dispose them of in a dignified manner.
The First Bench, consisting Acting Chief Justice Rajesh Kumar Agrawal and Justice N Paul Vasanthakumar, admitted the PIL, filed by social activist M S Sivakumar and ordered issue of notice to authorities returnable in two weeks.
The petitioner sought a direction to authorities to constitute core committees at the national and state level to dispose of unclaimed bodies in government hospital mortuaries after proper identification and in a dignified manner with the assistance of National Legal Services Authority in Delhi

The bench also dismissed another miscellaneous petition seeking direction to authorities for burying the body of a labourer from Odisha, who died after committing suicide, as infructuous.
Since the body was already buried today, the bench dismissed the petition.
Sivakumar in his petition submitted that a male prisoner hailing from Odisha committed suicide at the Puzhal jail on September 22 last. A post-mortem was conducted the next day and the body was in the Stanley Hospital mortuary, since September 23 last.