The mortal remains of neurosurgeon Simon Hercules, who died of COVID-19, were exhumed from the Velangadu burial ground on Sunday and reburied in the Kilpauk Christian cemetery, after the Greater Chennai Corporation withdrew the appeal against the High Court judgment.
Dr. Hercules died on April 19, 2020, of coronavirus and was buried in Velangadu, following protests by residents of Kilpauk during the pandemic.
The High Court had ordered on March 31, 2021, to exhume the body and rebury it in the Kilpauk Christian cemetery, as per the last wish of Dr. Hercules. But the Corporation obtained a stay during the previous AIADMK regime.
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G. Leonard Ponraj, head of department, Sports Medicine, Tamil Nadu Government Super Speciality Hospital and a friend of the deceased, said the reburial was done only after the intervention of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin.
The Corporation decided to withdraw the appeal against the High Court judgment following directions from the Chief Minister.
“To be fair, there was not much awareness among the general public that the virus immediately dies once the person dies. Although this fact was well-known to the Health Officers of the Corporation, the previous Commissioner was wrongly advised,” Dr. Ponraj said.
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“In June 2021, we represented the issue to the Chief Minister, who was kind enough to pass on our request to the Corporation Commissioner, who ordered officers to withdraw the appeal against the High Court order and made all arrangements for the exhumation and reburial,” he said.
Relatives of Dr. Hercules, including his wife Anandhi Simon, were present at the cemetery during the reburial on Sunday.