A Division Bench comprising Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia issued the directions while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking the 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 on behalf of the petitioner.
The court directed the concerned authorities to furnish details of burial grounds falling within their respective territorial jurisdictions, along with information on the burial 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 the regulation and provision of places for the disposal of the dead, as well as their maintenance, fall within the functions and duties of a municipal corporation.
The Bench further observed that ensuring citizens have appropriate places to perform the last rites of deceased persons is a primary civic responsibility of the concerned authorities.
The court also took note of a communication issued by a Deputy Director of the DDA, which stated that land was being offered by the authority on a leasehold basis through e-auction. The petitioner had reportedly been asked to participate in the auction process.
However, the High Court observed that burial cannot be equated with a commercial activity and directed the DDA to submit a status report addressing the issue.
The PIL has highlighted an alleged shortage of burial space for members of the Christian community in Delhi. According to the petition, several existing Christian cemeteries in the national capital have either reached capacity or are nearing it, leaving families with limited options for fresh burials.
The petitioner has claimed that the issue has been raised with the authorities since June 2025. According to the plea, the MCD had approached the DDA to identify suitable land for additional 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 progress due to pending litigation involving 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 and burial grounds.
It has also sought completion of the process within a time-bound framework to address the shortage and ensure adequate burial facilities for the Christian community.
The High Court has now sought status reports from the concerned authorities and will consider the matter further after receiving the responses.
