Right to Burial is a part of Right to Life - Madras HC

After a mob of people obstructed the proper burial of a doctor who had reportedly died of COVID-19, the Madras High Court took suo motu PIL over the issue, asserting that Article 21 of the Indian Constitution also entails right to have a decent burial. The bench consisting of Justices M Sathyanarayanan and M Nirmal Kumar observed that right to life under Article 21 cannot be restricted to a mere animal existence and that it means more than just physical survival. As per the reports, Dr. Simon, a 55-year old Managing Director of New Hope Hospital in Chennai, had passed away at Apollo Hospital on Sunday, possibly after contracting COVID-19 infection from a patient.  A mob of 100 people is said to have resisted the burial of the doctor at an earmarked plot in Kilpauk. The mob also allegedly attacked the people who had accompanied to carry out the burial and the staff. The court also stated that “citizens are not expected to take law and order into their own hands and if it is so, it would definitely lead to anarchy. There is likelihood of similar kind of incidents to occur in future also.” The matter will be further taken up next on April 28th 2020.