Cops cremate Covid+ woman whose kin could not turn up

AGRA : Police at Ekta chowki here set an admirable example by cremating a 62-year-old Covid positive woman whose family members were unable to attend her last rites. The woman’s sons, who live in Dubai, requested the police to get the cremation done as they were unable to fly to Agra.

Sharda Devi (62) lived in Jaipuria Sunrise Colony here. She was suffering from fever and sore throat. Her husband was in Mumbai where he is a builder and her two sons, Arjun and Niranjan, were stuck in Dubai.

“The woman died on Monday but no one in the colony was prepared even to touch the body because of Covid -19 fear. The body was lying in the apartment and left with little choice, we decided to send the body to the mortuary after wearing PPE kits,” said Shailendra Singh Chauhan, the in charge of Ekta police outpost in Agra.

“Both the sons of the deceased in Dubai were in telephonic discussion with me and assured that some member of the family would reach Agra on Tuesday to conduct the last rites. However, none, including husband of the deceased could turn up and so her sons requested the police to get the cremation done and provide ashes to the servant who was earlier looking after the deceased but is presently in Gorakhpur,” informed Chauhan.

“To fulfill the wishes of the family, the deceased was cremated on Wednesday by cops in the presence of the servant who came from Gorakhpur. The cremation was made available live online for family members who could not turn up,” stated Chauhan.

The woman died on Monday but no one in the colony was prepared even to touch the body because of Covid -19 fear. SHAILENDRA SINGH CHAUHAN,