Weeks after a mass grave was exposed on the banks of the Ganges River and state governments ordered a proper funeral (as per Hindu customs) of these bodies, state police were seen burning corpses using fuel and tyres.
However, a video posted by a Twitter user appears to shows how police and authorities are disrespecting these dead bodies by burning them using petrol and tyres.
मख्यमंत्री ने गंगा किनारे बह कर आ रहे शवो को दफनाने से क्या मना किया की प्रशासन ने आदेश का पालन करने के चक्कर में लाशों को जल्दबाजी में टायर और पेट्रोल डालकर जलवा दिया ये संवेदनहीन काम किया है यूपी की बलिया पुलिस ने pic.twitter.com/JocR9mJwJH
— Tushar srivastava (Zee media) (@TusharSrilive) May 17, 2021
Soon after the video went viral, the state police took cognisance of the matter and suspended five police officials involved in the case.
However, they are yet to confirm the number of dead bodies burned by officials in a similar manner.
Last week, horrific scenes emerged from the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh as thousands of bodies were found either floating in the Ganges River or buried along its banks. These bodies were suspected to be of patients who died of coronavirus.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) also sent a detailed advisory to the federal Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the state governments and Union Territories.
The human rights commission said it was the duty of the states to "protect the rights of the deceased and crime over the dead body and prepare an SOP [standard operating procedure] in consultation with all stakeholders".
