Maharashtra: Raigad cops cremate 76-yr-old deceased Covid +ve man after kin refuse

Navi Mumbai: Raigad police had to step in after relatives of a 76-year-old Covid patient, a resident of Mhasla village in Raigad, refused to perform his last rites fearing Covid infection during his cremation. The Assistant Police Inspector of the local Police station along with his colleagues and staffers of the Tehsildar office came forward and conducted the deceased man's final rites as per the rituals.
Uddhav Surve, Assistant Police Inspector of Mhasla Police station said, “The deceased senior citizen Govind Jadhav, a resident of Kelte-Boudhwadi in Mhasla village, was not hospitalized despite testing positive for Covid.He succumbed to Covid infection at his house on April 30 around 10.30 pm. After we learnt that the deceased’s kin were not ready to conduct his final rites as they feared getting infected, we went to their house on Saturday morning. We informed the Tehsildar about the situation that not only the deceased covid positive man’s kin, but even the local villagers were not willing to conduct his final rites fearing that they too will get infected.”
Surve further said, “After taking consent of the deceased man’s sons, the policemen and staffers of tehsildar office carried out the rituals of the final rites and cremated the deceased on a pyre in the village.”
Raigad collector Nidhi Choudhary said, “Such incidents of kin of the deceased Covid patients refusing to conduct final rites fearing infection has been witnessed in rural areas of Raigad village during the first wave of Covid last year. It reflects the dark side of the society. Hence, I had directed the Alibag Tehsildar and the Chief Officer to arrange for the final rites of such deceased persons with the help of government staffers.”