Police showed their humane side by performing the final rites of a suspected COVID-infected person at Perlavani Lanka village in Nagayalanka mandal in Krishna district on Saturday.
A woman, aged 38 years, who was suspected to be suffering from the virus, died on Saturday. Her brother, aged 33, died of COVID on Friday.
Krishna Superintendent of Police M. Ravindranath Babu said the woman was suffering from ill-health and died on Saturday. When the residents raised a hue and cry to remove the body, the police team led by Avanigadda CI Bheemeswara Ravi Kumar and Nagayalanka SI Kuchipudi Srinivas rushed to the spot.
“The unmarried woman gave the sample on Friday, the results of which are yet to come. Suspecting that she died of COVID-19, the residents demanded that her aged parents shift the body from the village immediately,” said Avanigadda Deputy Superintendent of Police Sk. Masoom Basha.
“Neither the relatives nor the locals came forward to shift the body. Instead, they demanded removal of the body. The villagers refused to give a vehicle to shift the body to the burial ground,” said Mr. Ravi Kumar.
The village sarpanch’s husband, Manikyala Rao, arranged his tractor and when nobody came forward to drive the vehicle, police constable K. Kalyan Kumar drove the tractor, said Mr. Babu.
Additional SP Mallika Garg said Avanigadda MLA Simhadri Ramesh Babu provided the bag, sodium hypochloride and other material to shift the body. He monitored the entire process at the graveyard, she said.
“The CI, along with Nagayalanka SI, sanitation worker Lakshmaiah and journalist Venkat performed the final rites of the patient by following all COVID norms. The village was sanitised later,” the SP said and appreciated the team for rising up to the occasion.
