Sub-Inspector Simranjit Kaur, a police official on duty from Shimlapuri police station, said that a team of at least 15 police personnel was involved to ensure peaceful cremation.
“Some escorted the ambulance from hospital and others were on naaka duty near cremation ground so that locals do not create trouble knowing corona infected body was being cremated. First the family did not come to claim the body at hospital and later they even did not come inside the cremation ground,” she said.
Jagsir Singh added: “Even I was ready to light the pyre. It was a question of humanity but then it might have set the wrong precedent. So, as per orders from my seniors, we told the cremation ground worker to light the pyre.”
When The Indian Express contacted the family, her son’s mobile phone was picked up by his wife (victim’s daughter-in-law). Asked about the administration’s claims, she said: “That’s untrue. We do not want to say anything further.”
MLA Simarjeet Singh Bains, who is also a relative of the victim, said,”The family did not refuse to cremate the body, but the SDM told us that five family members can just stand at some distance from the body and rest of the rituals will be performed by them. They never gave any safety suit to any of the family member, hence it is wrong to blame the family. On Tuesday, they will go to the cremation ground to pick the ashes and also they are organising a Sehaj Path in Shimlapuri Gurdwara to perform antim ardas. We don’t know as why administration is organising a separate antim ardas and why are they blaming the family.”
He questioned, “Why is the administration mum on the almost Rs 4 lakh bill generated by Fortis Hospital for 4 days. They need to speak on this issue as well.”
Reacting to the MLA’s claim, ADC Sandhu, said,” I am surprised to hear what MLA of the area is saying. We cremated the body as ‘unclaimed’ body. It was identified, but unclaimed by the family, though we tried to convince them repeatedly. Not only this, even when the woman died, the family had gone home and our duty magistrate who was Tehsildaar Jagsir Singh, signed on the receipt and he got the body from Fortis Hospital. Now they are saying they will go on Tuesday to pick ashes, will they not get infected? As we cremated the body as unclaimed body, hence we are doing ritual of antim ardas on our own. We don’t know about the Sehaj Path. We are organising an Akhand Path on Thursday and bhog will be on Saturday at Baba Deep Singh Gurdwara, Model town extension.”
This is, however, not the only recent case in Punjab where the fear of handling dead bodies of coronavirus victims has led to a controversy.
Residents of Verka village had objected to Amritsar administration’s decision to cremate the body of Gurbani maestro Bhai Nirmal Singh Khalsa at the village cremation ground. The cremation was finally carried out at the shamlat land of the village close to the highway.
On March 30, a 30-year-old suspected patient had died in Ferozepur. Locals had refused to allow cremation at Ferozepur Cantonment due to which body had to be taken to three cremation grounds one after another.
Meanwhile, on Monday, Director, Health and Family Welfare Department, Punjab, issued fresh letter sent to all SSPs, DCs and civil surgeons of Punjab, on dead body management of coronavirus victims, as received from the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The letter clarifies, “The main driver of COVID-19 transmission is through droplets. There is unlikely to be an increased risk of COVID infection from a dead body to health workers or family members who follow standard precautions while handling the body.”