The division bench headed by Chief Justice Tirath Singh Thakur had taken suo moto notice of a newsitem that had appeared in The Indian Express, highlighting the indifferent attitude of the Punjab government, for which an NGO has to compensate. The High Court, on the last date of hearing, had directed the government to file a reply.

Filing its reply, the counsel for the government today submitted that the government had issued a circular to all civil surgeons, asking them to ensure that no mortuary should return any unclaimed body brought by an NGO or a police official. The counsel informed the court that the authorities had been asked to ensure that the bodies are preserved in the mortuary properly.

Refusing to accept the reply, the High Court has directed the government to take better steps. The court was of the view that rather than issuing such circular, the government should pay adequate money to the NGOs so that they can cremate the unclaimed bodies. “Who will pay for the cremation of the unclaimed bodies?” the court questioned.

The Chief Justice has asked the government to file a reply, explaining how much financial assistance it can pay to the NGOs for cremating the unclaimed bodies. The government has also been asked to explain the capacity of the mortuary in Ludhiana and its condition.