Man moves Delhi HC seeking direction his last rites are not performed by his family members

New Delhi [India], September 19 (ANI): A man with cardiac ailments has approached the Delhi High court to ensure his last rites are not performed by his family members including his wife, daughter and son-in-law after his death.
The petitioner desires that his dead body be handed over to a person who looked after him during his ailment when he was bedridden.
The Delhi High Court on Monday directed the counsel for Delhi Government to take instructions on a plea moved by a 70 years old person.
The petitioner has challenged the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) of the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Delhi Government which directs that the dead body is to be given to relatives only.
Justice Yashwant directed the counsel for Delhi Government to take instructions on the plea of Kunj Bihari Bansal. The matter has been listed on October 18, 2022.
The petitioner has moved a plea seeking protection of his rights with respect to the performance of his last rite post his death.
The petitioner in the petition said that he was subjected to cruelty by his family members. He was looked after by a man who is not related to him. That man even cleaned his defecation.
The petition stated that the petitioner was treated very cruelly and badly by his wife and daughter and this brought him a lot of sorrow. It is not known when his end will come and he does not want his wife, daughter and son-in-law to lay a claim on his dead body as per the SOP of the Delhi Government which is ultra vires the rights of the petitioner.
The plea filed through Advocate Vishweshwar Shrivastav and Manoj Gautam stated that the Right of the Petitioner to prescribe the modus of his last rights is his unalienable right as per Article 21 of the Constitution of India and is also his right under the common law as it is his dead body which will be cremated so he has a right to choose the person who shall perform the same. (ANI)