Plea in SC for bringing back remains of Indian citizens who died of non-COVID ailments abroad

Pravasi Legal Cell, an NGO, filed a petition in the Supreme Court on Saturday seeking directions to the Central government to take appropriate steps to bring back the mortal remains of Indian citizens who died of non-COVID-19 ailments abroad.

The petition said that at this critical stage the unusual process of demanding no-objection certificate by the authorities here in India makes the whole repatriation a tedious process.

"As a result of this, a number of bodies of Indian citizens who died of non-COVID-19 aliments are lying abandoned at airports especially in countries like Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, UAE and Saudi Arabia," the petition said.

The plea said that this would clearly amount to the denial of repatriation of the body of Indian expatriate to the country for decent burial/cremation which is clearly in violation of fundamental rights guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India.

"The Supreme Court has time and again held that the right to decent burial is a facet of right to life. It is also the Supreme Court, which had in many of its judgements held that the right to dignity and fair treatment under Article 21 of the Constitution of India is not only available to a living man, but also to his body after death," the plea said.

It also sought appropriate arrangement to rescue and bring the Indian migrants stranded in Gulf countries who are living in vulnerable conditions in labour accommodations.

The PLC, in its petition, sought a direction to the Union of India (UOI) to take appropriate measure to ensure that the migrant workers experiencing symptoms have access to timely testing and medical facilities as absence of the same would result in high risk of transmission owing to the cramped conditions in which they reside.

It sought steps to ensure adequate food, medicines, quarantine and emergency service facilities to the needy and people in difficulty abroad as well as free medical consultation and counselling for the migrant labourers through online/videoconferencing facility with the doctors in India.

The plea sought directions to the Centre to come out with an appropriate scheme to ensure financial support for the families of migrant workers rendered jobless due to lockdown.

( With inputs from ANI )