In a sensitive case involving religious rights and burial practices, a Division Bench of the Supreme Court on Monday delivered a split verdict on the rights of a deceased Christian man from the Scheduled Tribe (ST) community to be buried in a village burial ground. Despite the divided opinion, the Bench issued common directions to resolve the matter instead of referring it to a larger Bench. The case arose after a dispute over whether the deceased, who had converted to Christianity, could be buried in the same burial ground where his Hindu ancestors were interred.
The Chhattisgarh government insisted that the burial take place in a separate burial ground designated for Christians, which is located 20 kilometers away from the village. This recommendation was made to avoid potential law and order issues that could arise due to the religious conversion of the deceased. On the other hand, the son of the deceased argued that his father, as a member of the Scheduled Tribe community, had the right to be buried in the same burial ground as his ancestors.
He contended that his father's conversion to Christianity should not lead to discrimination in burial practices. The matter came before a Bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma, who were unable to reach a consensus on the ideal resolution. However, considering that the body had been in the morgue since January 7, the judges decided against referring the matter to a larger Bench.
Instead, they issued directions unde.
