Punjab: Man carries 11-year-old daughter's body on shoulders for cremation, video goes viral
Chandigarh, May 15: A video of a daily-wager carrying the corpse of his 11-year-old daughter on his shoulders in Punjab's Jalandhar has gone viral on social media, prompting district authorities to order a probe into the incident.
In the video, which was shot by some passersby on May 10, Dilip can be seen carrying the body of his daughter Sonu on his shoulders to the cremation ground for her last rites. His son was also with him.
Talking to the media on Saturday, Dilip said his daughter had not been well and he took her to a hospital in Amritsar for treatment on the advice of doctors at a Jalandhar hospital.
He said his daughter died on the evening of May 9 at the Amritsar hospital.
After he brought the body to his room in Ram Nagar in Jalandhar, his neighbours did not come forward to help him fearing that the girl was a COVID-19 patient, said Dilip, who hails from Odisha.
Meanwhile, Jalandhar Deputy Commissioner Ghanshyam Thori ordered a probe into the whole incident after the video went viral on social media.
He said it was found that the minor did not succumb to COVID-19.
The DC said as per an inquiry conducted by the sub divisional magistrate, the cause of death was not COVID-19 as she had tested negative for the infection.
He said the girl was admitted in Jalandhar Civil Hospital from where she was referred to the Amritsar Medical college.
An ambulance carried the patient to Amritsar, where she remained admitted in the surgical ward.
After the death, an ambulance again dropped the body back in Jalandhar at their house.
The DC assured fulsome support to the family in this hour of grief.
COVID Patient Tracking Officer (CPTO) Navneet Kaur Bal said no one in the family or anyone in the area came forward to seek help in the cremation.
She said in normal cases (other than COVID deaths), once the body is handed over to the family, they take care of the last rights. However, in the present case, no one approached her for help in cremation.
Bal also stated that the cremation protocol is followed only in case of COVID death, however this case was different as the deceased had tested negative for the infection.
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Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar occupies CM's suite at new Karnataka Bhavan
New Delhi: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has occupied the exclusive CM’s suite accommodation at the new Karnataka Bhavan in Delhi’s upscale Chanakyapuri area, stirring speculation in political circles regarding changes in the state’s Congress leadership.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had briefly occupied the suite during a previous visit to the national capital but later shifted to the CM’s suite in the Annexe building of Karnataka Bhavan, reportedly citing lack of ventilation in the new facility.
Sources quoted by Deccan Herald said that Shivakumar requested Siddaramaiah to allow him to use the suite since it was lying vacant, and the Chief Minister agreed.
Reacting to the buzz, Shivakumar told reporters there was no need to read into the matter. “The Chief Minister’s post is not vacant and there is no need to discuss such issues now,” he said.
Amid ongoing speculations of a possible leadership change in the state, Congress general secretary (Karnataka in-charge) Randeep Surjewala held meetings with party MLAs to gauge their views on current political developments in the state.
Shivakumar mentioned that Surjewala would soon hold a joint meeting with both him and the Chief Minister to discuss ongoing political affairs in Karnataka. However, he refused to disclose further details about the proposed meeting.
