The Patna High Court has initiated suo motu proceedings in response to news reports concerning a video showing three Bihar policemen disposing of the body of a road accident victim into a canal in Muzaffarpur district, Bihar.
A division bench, headed by Chief Justice K Vinod Chandran and Justice Rajiv Roy, has instructed the state’s police chief to provide a report on the actions taken against the responsible officers.
In its observation, the court expressed its disappointment with the way the police handled the incident, deeming it a disheartening reflection of societal norms. The court issued this order on Monday, and it was made available on the court’s website on Tuesday. The next hearing is scheduled for October 31.
The court emphasized the need for greater respect and dignity in the disposal of bodies, highlighting the belief that even lifeless bodies are vessels of the soul. It urged a more considerate approach to this matter.
The court’s order-sheet also included the National Human Rights Commission’s ‘Advisory for Upholding the Dignity and Protecting the Rights of the Dead,’ issued during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Muzaffarpur police, in response to the incident, terminated the contracts of two home guards personnel and suspended a constable who were captured on video disposing of the accident victim’s body in the canal on Sunday.