New Delhi [India], September 2 (ANI): The Delhi High Court has directed the Delhi government, Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and other authorities to file status reports on the availability of burial grounds and burial space for the Christian community in the national capital.
A Division Bench comprising Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia passed the directions while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking identification and allotment of suitable land for Christian cemeteries and burial grounds in Delhi.
The PIL was filed by George Singh (Rahul), President of the Legal Christians Action Committee All India. Advocate Abhinav Kumar appeared for the petitioner.
The court directed the concerned authorities to provide details of burial grounds falling within their respective territorial jurisdictions and the space currently available at these facilities.
During the hearing, the Bench noted that the petition sought suitable land for establishing a Christian cemetery in Delhi.
The court observed that regulation and provision of places for disposal of the dead and their maintenance form part of the functions and duties of a municipal corporation.
It further observed that providing citizens with appropriate places to perform the last rites of deceased persons is a primary civic duty of the concerned authorities.
The Bench also considered a communication issued by a Deputy Director of the DDA, stating that land was being made available by the authority on a leasehold basis through e-auction and that the petitioner had been asked to participate in the e-auction process.
However, the court observed that burial cannot be equated with a commercial activity and directed the DDA to file a status report on the issue.
The PIL highlights an alleged shortage of burial space for members of the Christian community in Delhi. According to the petition, existing Christian cemeteries in the national capital have reached or are nearing capacity, leaving families with limited availability of space for fresh burials.
The petitioner has claimed that the issue has been taken up with the authorities since June 2025.
According to the petition, the MCD had approached the DDA to identify suitable land for burial grounds. The DDA had initially indicated three possible sites to the petitioner, including locations at Khajuri Khas, near Rajiv Gandhi Hospital and Sundar Nagri.
However, the petition states that the proposal concerning the Khajuri Khas site could not move forward because of pending litigation relating to the land.
The petitioner has sought directions to the Delhi government, DDA and MCD to jointly identify and earmark suitable land within the National Capital Territory of Delhi for Christian cemeteries.
It has also sought completion of the process within a time-bound framework to address the shortage of burial space.
The High Court has now sought status reports from the concerned authorities before proceeding further with the matter. (ANI)
Delhi HC seeks status report on burial space for Christians, says burial cannot be treated as commercial activity
