Bengaluru, Jul 17 (IANS): No Muslim graveyard in Karnataka can deny the burial of any person who follows Islam and has succumbed to Covid, said an official on Friday after some incidents of such refusal were reported in the state.

"Muslim khabarastans (graveyards) in the state of Karnataka irrespective of registered or unregistered with the Waqf board shall not refuse the burial of Muslims who died due to Covid pandemic," said State Board of Auqaf Chief Executive Officer Islahuddin J. Gadyal.

Gadyal passed the message addressing all the graveyard management committees and administrators in the southern state.

He directed the graveyard management committees to cooperate with all the nodal officers, district Waqf officers, for a decent burial.

"Non-cooperation or refusal on the part of the management will be construed as an insult committed to the deceased and will attract the punitive provision of the Indian Penal Code and removal from the management as per the provisions of the Waqf Act 1995," he said.

According to Gadyal, all registered as well as unregistered graveyard management committees must comply with this directive.

"A decent burial is the right of a dead person as per the law of the land and the Islamic jurisprudence," he highlighted.

The state government's move directing the management committees comes after cases of some graveyards not cooperating to bury the dead who succumbed to Covid came to light.

Total number of Covid-19 cases in Karnataka has crossed the 50,000-mark on Thursday with 4,169 fresh cases, while 104 more deaths pushed the toll to 1,032.