A mob on Tuesday, 2 June, disrupted the last rites of a COVID-19 positive man and forced his family members to flee with the half-cremated body in Jammu, prompting intervention by the administration which later ensured the cremation at another place as per protocol, PTI reported.
The 72-year-old man, from the Tarawan village in Doda district, had died at Jammu's Government Medical College (GMC) on Monday.
The incident took place at the Domana area, with the family of the man assisted by a team of health and civil administration officials, who allegedly did not take the local people or police officials into confidence, The Tribune reported, citing police sources.
"Residents resisted the cremation of the coronavirus positive person, arguing it would spread the infection in their area. They suggested that his last rites should be performed in his native village in Doda district," the report quoted sources as saying.
According to reports, the mob also pelted stones and were armed with sticks, though the police denied any stone-pelting.
"We had set out for the funeral along with a revenue official and a medical team, and had lit the pyre at a cremation ground in Domana area when a large group of local residents appeared at the scene and disrupted the last rites," the son of the 72-year-old man was quoted by PTI as saying.
After the disruption, the body was taken back to the GMC hospital, and later was cremated at the Bhagwati Nagar locality, with several officials present.
According to one of the relatives, the 73-year-old man had tested negative for coronavirus in the first test, but was found to be positive in the second one.
The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has recorded 2,601 cases of COVID-19 so far, with 31 deaths and 946 people having been cured or discharged, according to the Union Health Ministry data.
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