Uttarakhand High Court Orders Immediate Removal of Restrictive Board at Morowala Cemetery

Dehradun/Nainital: The Uttarakhand High Court has issued significant directions in a petition challenging the restriction imposed by the management committee of Morowala Cemetery in Clement Town, Dehradun, on the burial of people other than those belonging to the local community.

Hearing the matter, the Single Bench of Justice Manoj Kumar Tiwari disposed of the petition while directing the District Magistrate, Dehradun, to immediately remove the signboard installed by the cemetery committee and determine, in accordance with law, why burials were being restricted at the cemetery.

The petition was filed by Akhtar Hussain, a resident of Dehradun, who contended that the local cemetery committee had installed a board stating that only local residents could bury their deceased in the cemetery, effectively prohibiting outsiders from doing so.

The petitioner argued that the restriction violated the constitutional rights of citizens. He further submitted that his family had been residing in the area for many years and that his ancestors had also been buried in the same cemetery. Despite this, the committee had allegedly barred him and others from using the burial ground.

Seeking judicial intervention, the petitioner requested the High Court to restrain the committee from enforcing what he described as an arbitrary restriction and to ensure equal access to the cemetery for all those legally entitled to burial there.

After hearing the matter, the High Court directed the District Magistrate to remove the disputed signboard without delay, investigate the reasons behind the restriction on burials, and take an appropriate decision strictly in accordance with the law.

The order is being viewed as an important step towards ensuring that administrative decisions concerning public burial grounds remain consistent with constitutional principles and the rule of law.