The Fundamental Rights (FR) petition challenging the rules followed to dispose of the bodies of Muslim victims of COVID-19, has been fixed for support on 22 July 2020.
A three-judge bench of Supreme Court Justices Murdu Fernando, S. Thurairajah and Yasantha Kodagoda heard the petition on Tuesday (26).
The petition was lodged by former Minister and Leader of All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC) Rishad Bathiudeen, former MPs Seyed Ameer Ali, Abdullah Mohamed Mahroof, and Hussein Ahamed Bhaila.
The Minister of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine, Director General of Health Services, Secretary of the Ministry of Health, and the Attorney General have been cited as its respondents.
The petitioners have argued that there is no scientific evidence to support a conclusion that cremation is safer than burial to prevent the infection from the coronavirus.
