Five UP cops suspended after body recovered from Ganga cremated using tyre, petrol

LUCKNOW: Five police constables, who supervised cremation of an unidentified body with tyres and petrol on the banks of river Ganga in Ballia district of East Uttar Pradesh, have been suspended by the SP.

A video of the cremation happening at Maldepur Ghat of Ballia district went viral on Tuesday, prompting the SP Vipin Tada to initiate action.

“After a video showing the cops at the cremation went viral, the five constables have been suspended for showing insensitivity in the matter and a probe has been ordered into the entire incident. The probe will be conducted by the additional SP (ASP) Ballia,” the SP said on Tuesday.

According to informed sources, the series of videos which have gone viral pertain to the incident at Ballia’s Maldepur Ghat on Monday. An unidentified body was being mauled by stray dogs on the banks of Ganga at the same spot under supervision of the cops. Later it was cremated at the same Ghat.

The video shows a man, tasked with cremating the body under police supervision, using a bottle of petrol and tyre for lighting up the funeral pyre.

In the wake of reports of bodies floating in river Ganga in various parts of UP, including Ballia district, the Yogi Adityanath government had issued a set of directions on May 14, to ensure proper cremation of the bodies.

The government had ordered Rs 5,000 assistance for cremating the bodies, as many of the bodies were being dumped in rivers owing to fear of contracting the fatal viral infection or in the want of wooden logs to cremate the bodies. The local administration, including the gram panchayat and police were directed to ensure proper cremation of all such bodies.

The UP Police HQ too had issued orders to all districts on Monday to ensure round-the-clock patrolling of the river banks for preventing dumping of bodies in the river and ensure proper cremation of all unidentified bodies.