The Supreme Court on Wednesday called for an amicable resolution and a dignified burial for a pastor, whose remains have been in a mortuary since January 7. This plea comes amid a prolonged legal battle over burial rights in a village graveyard in Chhattisgarh. The pastor’s son, Ramesh Baghel, has challenged a decision by the Chhattisgarh High Court that dismissed his plea for his father’s burial in a section of the village graveyard designated for Christian burials.
Justices B V Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma, presiding over the bench, emphasized the need for a swift and peaceful resolution, expressing their concern over the delay in burial proceedings. “The body is in the morgue for 15 days; please find a solution. Let the man have a decent burial. There should be an amicable settlement,” the justices remarked during the session.
The dispute centers around the burial location, with the Chhattisgarh government, represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, insisting that the burial should occur in a designated area for Christian tribals, located about 20-30 kilometers away from the family’s home in Chhindawada village. However, senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, representing Baghel, contested this claim, arguing that the state’s position was misleading and that there had been instances of community members being buried within the village itself.
The bench expressed its astonishment at the sudden objections from the Hindu tribal community, noting that there had been no previous issues with joint burials. The court also considered the possibility of the pastor being buried on his own private land, a suggestion that was met with opposition from the government.
As the court reserved its judgment, the background of the case reveals a deeper communal and legal conflict. According to Baghel, the village graveyard has specific areas demarcated for different communities, and his family had historically used the Christian section without issue. The plea highlighted that both the petitioner’s aunt and grandfather were previously buried in this designated area without objection.
However, recent tensions have escalated, with some villagers vehemently opposing the burial and even threatening the family. The situation deteriorated to the point where law enforcement had to intervene, with reports of police pressuring the family to remove the body from the village.
