Patna, Aug. 23: The high court today sought a response from the state government and railway on a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking proper treatment (respect) and disposal of unclaimed bodies found on tracks.

A bench of justices S.K. Katriar and A. Amanullah directed the state health department’s principal secretary and the Railways to file their counter-affidavits within three months. The court, while posting the matter for hearing after three months, also directed both to come out with a proper mechanism to dispose of the unclaimed bodies.

During the course of hearing, Vikas Chandra alias Guddu Baba, the petitioner-in-person, said if the relatives of the deceased were informed through the print and electronic media, there is a chance of the bodies getting recognised. But things have worsened because of lapses on the part of the Government Railway Police (GRP). “The GRP dumps the bodies for three or four days at the railway station, which exposed the police’s inhuman behaviour in giving due respect to the bodies,” Baba said.

The bodies should be taken to hospital for post-mortem in an air-conditioned ambulance and not in carts, the petitioner added.

Baba had annexed photographs to his petition wherein the Nawada GRP was carrying a body with the help of bamboos. Even the court expressed its displeasure over the treatment meted out to the body. The state government in its affidavit informed the court that the sub-inspector (SI) concerned of Nawada GRP has been put under suspension.

Referring to the high court’s judgment passed on March 16, 2001, Baba submitted in his petition that disposal and proper treatment to bodies is the responsibility of the state government and the bodies should be disposed of with their known religious faith.

The court had passed the judgment on a PIL by Baba, who raised the issue of dumping of bodies into the Ganga leading to river pollution.