WARNING: 'Covid-19 victim' body thrown in garbage as cops look on

After video goes viral, authorities in India's Uttar Pradesh suspend seven employees

Hours after a 20-second video showing municipal workers dumping a body who they feared was of a Covid-19 victim in a garbage van in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh went viral, authorities suspended seven employees, including three policemen.

The video was shot in the Balrampur district and shows the body of a middle-aged man, who was identified as Mohammed Anwar,45, being picked up by three municipal workers and dumped into a garbage van, the policemen were also present at the spot.

The incident took place near Tehsil Gate of Utraula block in Balrampur on Wednesday evening, said Dev Ranjan Verma, SP Balrampur.

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Anwar, a resident of Balrampur, had gone to a local government office, when he collapsed at its gate and died at the spot. The reason of his death is not known as yet.

Shameful , appalling visuals from Balrampur . The body of 42 year old Mohd Anwar , who collapsed and died outside a govt office yesterday , dumped in a garbage van in the presence of @balrampurpolice and taken away .... pic.twitter.com/N5DCwe0QC9

— Alok Pandey (@alok_pandey) June 11, 2020

An ambulance was parked near the gate of the office, but suspecting the man to be infected with coronavirus, refused to transport the dead body.

Later, the municipal workers bundled the dead body in a garbage van. Some passersby made the video of the incident that went viral.

Soon after, administration swung into action and DM Balrampur Krisnha Karunesh ordered an inquiry into the incident.

“A probe was ordered and those found guilty have been suspended,” Karunesh told reporters.

.... visuals shot by locals place an ambulance at the spot too but those manning it allegedly refused to touch the body because of fears over the #COVID__19 pandemic ... pic.twitter.com/rmeEQWZ4xL

— Alok Pandey (@alok_pandey) June 11, 2020

SP Balrampur told reporters that the incident should not have happened.

“This is inhuman. They must have done it out of corona fear but still, it should not have happened. Police sub inspector Ravindra Kumar Raman, two police constables Subham Patel and Sahilendra Sharma have been suspended,” he told reporters.

A senior police official said the SP has ordered the cops to be sensitive about Covid-19 situation and avoid such incidents.

...@balrampurpolice chief Dev Ranjan Verma has called the incident inhuman but says a bigger ‘enquiry’ will happen before action is taken ... its still not clear if the gentleman who died is covid positive but no one deserves such indignity ... pic.twitter.com/xIk5zJwo3t

— Alok Pandey (@alok_pandey) June 11, 2020

An official added that Anwar was a resident of Sahzora village under Sadullahnagar police station in Balrampur and had died when he had gone to a local government office on Wednesday.

The dead body has been handed over to the family members for funeral, an officer said.

The article originally appeared in The Hindustan Times