Chennai Corporation withdraws appeal in HC, paves way for exhumation of Dr. Simon's body

The Greater Chennai Corporation on Thursday withdrew its appeal against an order passed by a single judge of the Madras High Court, allowing exhumation of the mortal remains of a doctor, who died of Covid-19, paving the way for the reburial at a different location in the city.

The civic body's move will allow the exhumation of the body of Dr. Simon Hercules, who had been treating Covid-19 patients and fell victim to it in April last year, from the Velangadu crematorium and rebury the same at the Kilpauk cemetery here.

When the appeal from the Corporation challenging the orders of the single judge granting permission to exhume the body from the Velangadu crematorium came up for hearing today before the division bench headed by Justice M M Sundresh, its counsel filed a memo to withdraw the same. And the bench dismissed the appeal as withdrawn.

Originally, while allowing a writ petition from Anandi Simon, wife of Dr. Hercules, Justice Abdul Quddhose on March 31 had quashed an earlier order of the civic body rejecting her plea to exhume her husband's body and rebury it at Kilpauk.

He had permitted the exhumation of the body and rebury it at Kilpauk. However, on an appeal from the Corporation, the division bench led by Justice Sundresh had stayed the operation of the order of the single judge.