KOTTAYAM: The Kottayam East police on Monday registered a case against municipal councillor T N Harikumar and 50 other identifiable persons for preventing cremation of a Covid patient at municipal crematorium at Muttambalam, the other day. According to police, they were charged with various Sections of the Epidemic Disease Ordinance and for obstructing traffic.
Though the district administration had planned to conduct the cremation of Ouseph George, 83, who was confirmed with SARS-CoV-2 infection at Muttambalam crematorium at 3 pm on Sunday, the authorities had to put it on hold till 11 pm following protests from the residents of the Ambedkar colony near the crematorium. The protest was led by Harikumar.
At night, authorities forcibly conducted the cremation under tight police security. Political leaders and people’s representatives expressed dissatisfaction over the unilateral move of the district administration without taking the public into confidence. Meanwhile, the health experts categorically stated that the cremation of a Covid patient would in no way lead to transmission of the virus.