Karnataka High Court Seeks State’s Response on Burial of Body on Private Land

The Karnataka High Court has sought the State government’s clarification on whether permission and the landowner’s consent are required to bury a dead body on private property.

Justice Suraj Govindaraj observed while hearing a plea by H. Gopala Gowda, challenging an endorsement by the Assistant Commissioner, Kolar Sub-Division, which rejected his request to exhume his daughter-in-law’s body, allegedly buried unlawfully in his premises.

The petitioner argued the act violated Section 95 of the Karnataka Gram Swaraj and Panchayat Raj Act, 1993, which restricts burials within 100 metres of a dwelling. The Court warned that allowing such burials could set a “dangerous precedent.”

[H. Gopala Gowda v. State of Karnataka & Ors.]