The Supreme Court noted complaints of mishandling of encounter victims’ bodies in Chhattisgarh but said “contempt petition will not help”, advising families to pursue remedies through NHRC or other legal channels.
New Delhi: On September 15, the Supreme Court of India recently heard a petition regarding the alleged mishandling of the bodies of encounter victims in Chhattisgarh. The families of those killed had complained that they were not given access to the bodies for two days and that even the last rites were denied to them in a dignified manner.
The matter came up in the case before a Bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta.
At the beginning of the hearing, the court observed,
“We note the case, but contempt petition will not help.”
The judges indicated that the scope of contempt proceedings was limited and not suitable for addressing the issue in question.
Counsel appearing for the petitioners stressed the seriousness of the matter, stating,
“This is a very unfortunate situation. Despite assurances by the Chhattisgarh AG that postmortems were completed, families were stonewalled, and bodies were left exposed. Even ashes were not returned.”
Justice Vikram Nath intervened, saying,
“Let’s not debate this. If you want, pursue other remedies. Contempt proceedings were rightly closed by the High Court.”
The Bench made it clear that the petitioners should look for other legal avenues instead of seeking relief through contempt proceedings.
The counsel, however, urged the court to ensure that such incidents are not repeated, submitting,
“We appeal for NHRC guidelines to ensure humane handling of bodies in such cases.”
Justice Nath responded, clarifying the court’s position once again:
“Avail appropriate remedies outside contempt proceedings.”
The court’s stand shows that while it recognized the seriousness of the allegations, it was not inclined to reopen contempt proceedings already closed by the High Court.
Instead, the petitioners were advised to approach other forums such as the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) or seek remedies under appropriate legal provisions.
This case highlights the sensitive issue of how bodies of encounter victims are treated, raising questions of dignity, human rights, and accountability.
The court’s refusal to entertain the matter under contempt proceedings shifts the responsibility towards alternate legal remedies and guidelines to ensure respect for human life and dignity, even in cases of encounters.
Case Title:
A. Karuppiah v. M. Aminath Rahma and Ors.,
SLP(C) No. 24636/2025,
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