Two arrested after video of Covid victim’s body being dumped into river goes viral

LUCKNOW: After a video of the dumping of a Covid-19 victim’s body into Rapti river in Balrampur district went viral, police on late Saturday night lodged an FIR against the kin of the deceased and arrested two persons in this connection.
Superintendent of police, Balrampur, Hemant Kutiyal said, “A 39-second video of the dumping of the body of Covid victim, Prem Nath Mishra, into the river went viral on different social media platforms on May 29.In the video, a man wearing a PPE suit was seen with another person in black shirt and blue jeans holding a body packed in a PPE kit. They then opened the PPE cover and threw the body into the river under Kotwali Dehat police station area,” said Kutiyal.
A probe was ordered and the chief medical officer of Balrampur, Dr VB Singh, was asked to submit a report.
“A probe was conducted which revealed that Prem Nath Mishra from Shohratgarh in Siddharthnagar was admitted to district memorial hospital in Balrampur on May 25. The next day, Prem Nath tested positive and his treatment started at L2 district hospital. However, he succumbed to infection on May 28,” added Dr Singh.
He said the body of Prem Nath was handed over to his nephew, Sanjay Kumar, around 12 pm on May 29 by an ambulance driver, Rampreet, at Sisai ghat. “The body was wrapped in a PPE kit as per Covid-19 protocol. However, hours later a video showing the body being thrown into the river went viral,” the CMO said.
“On the complaint of the ambulance driver, an FIR under the Epidemic Act and the Disaster Management Act has been lodged against Sanjay and his associate Manoj. More sections of the IPC will be levelled against the duo,” the SP said.
Ever since the reports of people dumping bodies into the Ganga came to the fore, the UP police has started patrolling by boats to prevent disposal of bodies in rivers. The state government is also offering a support of Rs 5,000 for dignified cremation of the deceased whose families cannot afford the last rites.