RANCHI: In yet another incident of opposing burial due to corona fear in Jharkhand, family members threw the dead body of a 61-year old woman, suffering from leprosy in a dry well after villagers did not allow them to dispose of it in the burial ground outside the village, meant for people dying of incurable diseases.
The body, however, was later buried on Thursday only after police intervened on receiving information that a dead body was spotted in a well.
The deceased identified as Chanchala Nayak was a resident of Mohanpur village in Patpur panchayat died at home, following which the dead body was taken to the primary health centre. After samples taken from it was tested negative of coronavirus, the dead body was handed over to the family members, who, as per set norms in the village took it for burial at Kaju Bagan but Mukhia and other villagers did not allow them to enter the burial ground fearing that it might infect others also in the village.
“Family member, having no option left with them, dropped the body into a dry well located outside the village to get rid of it. But villagers again objected following which the body was finally thrown into a river near the village. When police were informed about the incident, it rushed to the village and recovered the dead body and got it buried under its supervision,” said Jamshedpur Rural SP Piyus Pandey.
Though they have a custom of cremation, but due to the opposition of family members, it was buried Jamshola near the river from where it was recovered, he added.
According to police, FIR has been lodged against five named persons and 8-10 unidentified persons under various sections of IPC and spreading rumours related to coronavirus, police said.
Earlier in Ranchi, a 60-year old coronavirus victim, who died at Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi on Sunday, had to struggle for several hours to get ‘Do-Gaz Zameen’ after locals opposed his burial after it was taken to three graveyards in Ranchi. People took to the streets and created ruckus opposing burial of the dead body. The dead body was finally buried at a local graveyard in the midnight under police supervision.