Police book 21 for opposing cremation of Covid victim
RUDRAPUR: Police have booked the president of the local traders’ union in Lohaghat area of Champawat district and 20 others for opposing the cremation of a Covid victim on Sunday, police said.
Manish Khatri, in-charge, Lohaghat police station said, “Police have booked the president of the local traders’ union and 20 others for opposing the cremation of the body of a Covid patient. The body was being cremated at the temporary crematorium set up for such cases by the local administration.” A woman from a village under Lohaghat police station died due to Covid-19 infection on Saturday. The village has been declared a micro-containment zone after some villagers tested positive. The villagers were reluctant to perform the last rites of the woman in their area. In such a situation, police took the body into their possession on the request of the deceased’s son and brought the body to the temporary crematorium at Devrari Bandh. Meanwhile, Bhairav Datt Rai, president of local traders’ union, and 20 others arrived there and opposed the cremation. Police tried to persuade them but they didn’t let the police perform the last rites.
Later, police had to cremate the body at another place. Police booked Rai and 20 others under IPC sections 188 (disobedience), 268 (public nuisance), 269 (negligently spreading infection), and various provisions of Disaster Management Act and Epidemic Act, Khatri said.