Bodies left abandoned on Kolkata roads for hours fearing Covid-19 contamination

KOLKATA: Bodies of two persons were found abandoned on the road for several hours in two parts of the city between Friday night and Saturday as locals stayed away from touching them fearing Covid-19 infection. Both the bodies were finally removed by cops following Covid protocols and have been sent for post mortem-examination.
On Friday, a woman in her mid-50s was found lying on the road near Airport gate no. 1 but none came forward to check on her. There were allegations that even police personnel at the spot refused to touch the woman fearing possible contamination. However, by evening, officers of Airport police station with of traffic ambulance shifted her to Barasat Sadar Hospital where she was declared dead on arrival by a medical officer. Later cops identified her as Rita Patra, a resident of Madhyamgram.
"According to her family members, the woman had left her home on Friday to see a doctor at some hospital. But they have no clue how she reached the area near the airport. She had possibly fell sick on the road and fell down. By the time we could take her to the hospital, she was dead,” said a senior officer of Bidhannagar Commissionerate.
Meanwhile at Phoolbagan in north Kolkata, locals found the body of an unidentified person lying on the footpath. None checked upon him, allegedly thinking the person was either drunk or was asleep. But by morning, when the body had started rotting, locals called cops for help and officers from Phoolbagan police station removed the body in accordance to Covid protocols.