COVID-19 patient’s body buried using JCB in Andhra Pradesh

Tirupati: Yet another pathetic incident of a COVID-19 patient being denied humanity came to light at Tirupati Harischandra burial ground in Andhra Pradesh. The body of a COVID-19 patient was carried in a JCB and thrown into the grave in the presence of municipal employees. The incident reportedly took place in Tirupati on Sunday evening (July 5).

The video went viral and sparked criticism on social media. Tirupati municipal officials reported that consent from the family had been taken in order to bury the body using the vehicle.

According to a report on a popular website, "The weight of the body was around 175 to 180 kilograms. Because the public was gathering at the graveyard, Corporation handlers had to hurry. Don’t make it a big issue. I have already trained the handlers about handling the dead bodies. There are only four to five handlers, we should spare a thought about them too. We shall still ensure that these kinds of incidents will not be reported further,” PS Girish, the municipal commissioner for Tirupati, told the media.