Haryana Human Rights Commission Condemns State Over Dignity Violation in Faridabad Incident
The Haryana Human Rights Commission has issued a scathing rebuke to the state government following a distressing incident in Faridabad, where a family was compelled to transport the body of a deceased woman using a motorised open pushcart. The Commission, taking suo motu cognisance of the case, described this event as a "direct assault on human dignity, constitutional values, and the very concept of a Welfare State."
Incident Details and Commission's Observations
According to reports dated January 30, 2026, a 35-year-old woman named Anuradha passed away during treatment at the Badshah Khan Civil Hospital in Faridabad. Her relatives, grappling with extreme financial hardship, were unable to afford transportation for her body. With no ambulance or hearse provided by the hospital or local administration, they resorted to moving her remains to Sarurpur village in a motorised open pushcart.
The Commission, chaired by Justice Lalit Batra and including Members Kuldip Jain and Deep Bhatia, highlighted the poignant details of this ordeal. They noted that the pushcart was driven by the woman's elderly father-in-law, while her husband and mother-in-law walked alongside. Most heart-wrenchingly, her seven-year-old son was "holding tightly onto the sheet covering his mother's body to prevent it from being blown away by the wind." In its order released on a recent Friday, the panel stated that such scenes demand deep introspection from any civilised and sensitive society.
Constitutional and Moral Implications
In a powerful assertion, the Commission clarified that the right to life under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution extends beyond mere existence to encompass the right to live and die with dignity. "Forcing a family to transport a dead body in degrading conditions due to poverty reflects a serious abdication of the State's constitutional and moral responsibilities," the order emphasized.
The Commission expressed grave concern over statements from health officials claiming that government ambulances are not intended for transporting dead bodies. It argued that such remarks reveal a policy vacuum and administrative insensitivity, stressing that the core issue is whether the state has an assured, accessible, and dignified mechanism for handling the bodies of deceased individuals from economically weaker backgrounds.
Systemic Failure and Recommendations
Labeling this not as an isolated lapse but a systemic failure, the Commission pointed out that similar incidents have repeatedly occurred across India, where impoverished families are forced to use carts, rickshaws, or other makeshift means for transporting sick relatives or their bodies. "Ensuring dignity in death is not an act of charity but a constitutional and human rights obligation," it declared, adding that no welfare state should allow poverty to dictate how a citizen's body is treated posthumously.
Drawing a parallel, the Commission noted that Haryana already offers free ambulance services for pregnant women to and from civil hospitals. On this basis, it has recommended that the Haryana Health Department formulate a policy to ensure that when a patient from an economically weaker family dies during treatment in any civil hospital, the body is transported to the deceased's home free of charge and with dignity.
Official Actions and Future Steps
Dr. Puneet Arora, Assistant Registrar of the Haryana Human Rights Commission, confirmed that directives have been issued to key officials, including the additional chief secretary of the Health and Family Welfare Department, the director general of Health Services in Haryana, and the civil surgeon and chief medical officer of Faridabad. These authorities are required to submit action taken reports at least one week before the next hearing, scheduled for April 2, 2026.
This case underscores ongoing challenges in public health and administrative responsiveness, calling for urgent reforms to uphold human dignity as enshrined in constitutional principles.
