Ambala: Residents protest COVID-19 suspect's cremation, pelt stones at cops
In Ambala, Haryana, violence broke out between residents of a village and police after the former objected to the cremation of an elderly woman, thinking that she passed away due to coronavirus. The woman died on Monday and the results of her COVID-19 tests are awaited. To disperse the crowd, cops resorted to lathi-charge and fired shots in the air. Here's what went down.
The deceased was admitted to the civil hospital, where she breathed her last. Civil Surgeon Dr. Kuldeep Singh told NDTV the woman was suffering from asthma. Yesterday morning, she found it difficult to maintain oxygen saturation and died during treatment. "We collected her samples for COVID-19 testing and after following the due procedure and SOPs, we released her body for the cremation," he said.
About what transpired at the Chandpura village of the district, Ambala Cantonment DSP, Ram Kumar, said the woman, in her 60s, was being cremated following government guidelines. As per protocol, a COVID-19 suspect's last rites have to be performed in the spot identified by the government. But the residents raised an objection saying she isn't a local and threw stones at cops and doctors.
Kumar told TOI, "We attempted to pacify them while informing that all the safety measures are being adopted, but they did not listen. Soon they started pelting stones on policemen and doctors and damaged the glass of ambulance too."
One of the clips of the showdown between cops and residents showed the former ordering them to stay put. The police officers wore masks while most of the villagers covered their faces with pieces of cloth. After the villagers refused to budge, cops used force. They lathi-charged them and reportedly also used bullets to scare them. Eventually, the deceased was cremated.
#WATCH Haryana: A clash broke out between police locals after the body of an elderly woman, possibly infected with #COVID19, was brought to the designated cremation ground in Chandpura, Ambala. (27.04.20) pic.twitter.com/BQEXHOAkxx
— ANI (@ANI) April 27, 2020
Kumar said a case was registered against villagers for violating lockdown norms and attacking officers on duty as well as doctors. "We have rounded up some accused and an investigation is on," he added. But one villager defended their violent protest, saying the deceased lived in the Topkhana area and should have been cremated there and not Chandpura village.
This episode shows there's a lot of stigma attached to COVID-19. Yesterday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while interacting with Chief Ministers of all states, said those who have contracted the deadly infection shouldn't be seen as criminals. Across India, the total number of infections has crossed 29,500, and 939 have died. Globally, the virus has killed 211,609 people.
