New Delhi,
The Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind has moved the Supreme Court seeking to intervene in a plea filed by a Mumbai resident opposing burial of people dying of COVID-19 in a graveyard near his residence.
Mumbai-resident Pradeep Ghandy has approached the apex court after his plea, made on the ground that burial of COVID-19 patients in the graveyard in Bandra West would spread infection in adjoining areas, was rejected by the Bombay High Court on April 27. Ghandy’s plea challenging the high court order will come up for hearing on May 4 before a bench of Justices R F Nariman and Indira Banerjee.
The Muslim body, while seeking intervention in the appeal filed by Ghandy, said that apprehension of burial of bodies of those infected with COVID-19 will risk the spread of such infection in the vicinity is unfounded and that at the outset there is no risk of spreading of the COVID-19 virus during such burial.
“It is submitted that the burial of dead bodies is essential to the religion of Islam as well as in other religions such as Christianity. Such a right forms part of the right to practice one’s religion under Article 25 of the Constitution of India,” the plea said. The Muslim body said that it is a common myth that persons who have died of a communicable disease should be cremated, but this is not true and cremation is a matter of cultural choice and available resources. ( PTI )
