Kin of Covid patient hide facts, locals prevent body from being taken for cremation

Kolkata: Tension spread in Beniapukur area after an elderly woman died due to Covid infection on Wednesday. It is alleged that her relatives tried to take her body for cremation at night.

According to sources, the woman was earlier tested COVID-19 positive a few weeks ago. It is alleged that despite she had fallen ill, her family members did not want to test her swab samples. After locals compelled her family members to test her swab sample, the report came positive. After the elderly woman was tested Covid positive, she was reportedly admitted at a nursing home. But due to financial issues, she was brought back home and was in home isolation. On Wednesday evening she died at her home located on Christopher Road in Beniapukur.

According to locals, her family members tried to sneak her body out for cremation on Wednesday night. But her neighbours opposed the act. The woman's family members claimed that though she was tested Covid positive earlier, was cured after treatment.

Her family members claimed that when they got in touch with the state Health department, the officials refused to take charge of the body after hearing that the woman was Covid negative at the time of her death.

However, local MLA Swarnakamal Saha claimed that the woman was COVID-19 affected. On Thursday morning he came to know about the incident and intervened.

He informed KMC and Sasthya Bhavan following which on Thursday the elderly woman's body was taken by the KMC workers took charge over the woman's body and took it to the crematorium in Dhapa.

"The woman was a Covid patient. What her family members were trying to do is not right. They could have informed me that they failed to contact the authorities. I would have arranged for her cremation on Wednesday," said Saha.