Chennai: The Madras High Court has directed the Chennai Corporation to exhume the body of Dr Simon Hercules, who died of COVID-19 last year, and re-bury the remains at the Kilpauk cemetery.
Dr Simon had died during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the local people had objected against the burial of his mortal remains at the Kilpauk cemetery. His relatives and friends who arrived for the funeral were also attacked. Subsequently, the burial was held at the Velangadu cemetery in haste.
His wife Anandi had approached the High Court, seeking permission to bury the mortal remains of her husband at the Kilpauk cemetery. Earlier, she had met Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami with the same request. The Chief Minister left the matter to be considered by the Chennai Corporation. But as the corporation objected to this, she approached the court.