Nellore: RDO to inquire heartless burial of Covid-19 victims

Nellore: District Revenue Divisional Officer Hussain Saheb has been appointed as Special Officer to conduct an inquiry into the burial of three bodies of Covid-19 victims at night in an inhuman manner using an earthmover. District Collector MV Seshagiri Babu appointed him.

The inquiry was ordered after a video went viral on social media platforms, which shows some municipal workers throwing three bodies into a JCB after bringing them to the spot close to Madaraju Gudur in an ambulance on Thursday night and later the bodies were dumped into a pit in the Penna riverbed, which is a clear cut violation of Covid-19 protocol for disposal of victim bodies.

It was stated that some Jana Sena activists who witnessed the inhuman act, recorded it and posted the video on social media platforms.

Speaking on the inhuman act on Covid-19 victims' bodies, Jana Sena leader Kethamreddy Vinod Reddy said, "The incident took place close to the residential quarters of SembCorp thermal plant. He demanded that the State government allocate land in coastal mandals of the district for disposal of Corona Virus victim bodies as per the protocol in a dignified manner."

Having learnt about the inhuman burial of Coronavirus victim bodies, Minister for Water Resources P Anil Kumar Yadav expressed his anger at the district officials and sought details of the incident.

RDO Hussain Saheb said, "I have started an inquiry on the inhuman act of Covid-19 victims' bodies been thrown on the Penna river bed. I will submit a report to the Collector soon after completing the probe."

TDP chief Nara Chandrababu Naidu tweeted on concern with the deceased family. "Saddened to see the dead bodies of Covid-19 affected being disrespectfully thrown into a single pit using an Earthmover. This is happening time and again. Andhra Pradesh Government must offer an apology to the grieving families who wished for a respectful departure for their loved ones."