UP Covid Patient's Body Thrown in River, Passerby Shoots Shocking Video

In shocking visuals from Uttar Pradesh, the body of a Covid patient was being thrown in a river, where thousands of bodies were buried in shallow graves by the river Ganga.

As per protocol, the Central authorities have ordered states to ensure that dead bodies are not disposed of in rivers after it made headlines a few days ago. In a letter, the Centre had also asked states to increase patrol along riverbanks to stop the practice, which appears to be proliferating due to poverty and lack of awareness.

The video was shot by a couple of people who were driving by the spot in the Balrampur district on May 28. In which two men, one of them in a PPE suit and other in regular clothes, are seen lifting a body near a bridge over river Rapti while it is heavily raining. The man in the PPE suit can be seen tinkering with the body, probably trying to get it out of the body bag.

However, later the Chief Medical Officer of Balrampur confirmed that the body was of a Covid patient and the relatives were trying to dump it in the river. A case has been registered against the kin of the deceased and the body has been handed back to them, NDTV reported.

“Preliminary investigations have revealed that the patient was admitted to hospital on May 25, and he died three days later on May 28. As per Covid protocol, the body was handed over to his relatives. Preliminary investigations reveal that the relatives threw the body into the river. We have filed a case and strict action will be taken,” said Balrampur Chief Medical Officer VB Singh.

Earlier this month, hundreds of bodies had washed up on the banks of river Ganga in parts of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. The visuals sent shock waves across the country highlighting the gravity of the Covid-19 second wave. In Buxar district, 71 bodies were retrieved from the riverbank.

Thousands of other bodies have been found buried in the sandbanks of Ganga, which local authorities said could have floated up during the high tide.

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