The Supreme Court has slammed the Chhattisgarh Government and sought its response on a plea filed by a Christian man who said he is unable to bury his pastor father in Chhindawada village as people have aggressively objected to it and police have threatened him with legal action. A bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma expressed surprise that the body was lying in a mortuary in the district hospital and medical college, Jagdalpur since January 7, when the man died and the police have not taken any action since then.
Bench rapped the Chhattisgarh Government while seeking its response on the plea filed by the son. "Leave the village panchayat, even the High Court has passed a strange order. What is the State Government doing," the bench said while issuing notice to the Chhattisgarh Government. The matter will be heard on January 20.
The top court was hearing the appeal filed by Ramesh Baghel, belonging to the Mahra caste, challenging an order of the Chhattisgarh High Court which disposed of his plea seeking burial of his father who was a pastor in the area specified for Christian persons in the village graveyard. Relying on a certificate issued by the gram panchayat's sarpanch that there are no separate burial grounds for Christians, the High Court denied him permission saying it may cause unrest and disharmony in the public at large.The pastor died due to prolonged old age illness.