A plea was Thursday filed in the Supreme Court seeking constitution of a special investigating team headed by a sitting or retired apex court judge to supervise the probe into the death of several persons whose bodies were recently found floating in river Ganga in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
The petition has sought directions to the Centre, authorities in states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar to conduct post-mortem of the bodies which are found floating in river Ganga to ascertain the cause of death.
The plea, filed by advocates Pradeep Kumar Yadav and Vishal Thakre, has claimed that recovery of these decomposed corpses raises issue of serious concern as the river acts as a source of water for many areas and if the bodies were infected by COVID-19, then it might spread in the villages in both the states.
45 dead bodies seen floating in Ganga river in UP s Ballia, Ghazipur
At least 45 bodies were seen floating at the Ujiyar, Kulhadia, and Bharauli ghats in Ballia s Narahi area, as per locals
BusinessToday.In | May 12, 2021 | Updated 11:28 IST
Bodies were also seen floating in Gahmar and Bara villages of Ghazipur, according to residents (Representational image)
Bodies were seen floating in the Ganges in Uttar Pradesh s Ballia and Ghazipur regions. At least 45 bodies were seen floating at the Ujiyar, Kulhadia, and Bharauli ghats in Ballia s Narahi area, as per locals.
Ballia district authorities have not disclosed the exact number of cadavers discovered. District Magistrate Aditi Singh said that some bodies have been found in very bad condition under the Ballia-Buxar bridge, adding that Subdivisional Magistrate and the circle officer are probing this incident. Singh further noted that funeral rites will be performed with due respect.
The last rites of the deceased were performed on Tuesday itself. We are trying to find out where did the bodies come from. Seeing the flow of the river, it seems that they came from Buxar and other parts of Bihar, Yadav told PTI on Wednesday.
Although Buxar is downstream to Ballia, there is a possibility that the bodies came from Buxar, he said. The distance between the Bharauli and Ujiyar ghats in the Narahi police station area of Ballia, and the ghat in Buxar is around one kilometre. The direction of wind over the river is towards Ballia, the SDM said.