Balrampur: After a video of a body of suspected COVID-19 patient being thrown into a river in Uttar Pradesh’s Balrampur has surfaced, a case has been registered against the family, the police said.

The incident took place on May 28, and the video shot by a couple of people who were driving by the spot, has gone viral. In the video, two men are seen lifting a body on the bridge over Rapti river. The man in the PPE suit can be seen tinkering with the body — probably trying to get it out of the body bag.

Later, the Balrampur of Chief Medical Officer confirmed that the body was indeed of a Covid patient, and the relatives were trying to dump it in the river.

WATCH VIDEO HERE:

In UP’s Balrampur district, video of body of man being thrown in the river from a bridge has surfaced. The body was of a man who succumbed to Covid on May 28. pic.twitter.com/DEAAbQzHsL

— Piyush Rai (@Benarasiyaa) May 30, 2021

“Preliminary investigations have revealed that the patient was admitted to hospital on May 25, and he died three days later. As per Covid protocol, the body was handed over to his relatives. The relatives threw the body into the river. We have filed a case and strict action will be taken,” said Balrampur Chief Medical Officer V.V. Singh.

A case has been booked against the family, this comes despite strict instructions from the the UP government against disposal of dead bodies in rivers and other water bodies.

Earlier, bodies of several suspected COVID patients had washed up on the banks of river Ganga in parts of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh after which the chief minister asked all district magistrates to ensure that the bodies were properly disposed.

(With inputs from agency)