Haryana residents throw stones at police and doctors, protest against cremation of COVID-19 suspect 

A group of locals clashed with the police in Ambala, Haryana. Residents even threw stones at the doctors and police as they were against cremation of a COVID-19 suspect, a report in NDTV said.

The COVID-19 suspect was a woman who died due to other illness at city’s civil hospital.

In a video that was widely shared on social media, the residents of Chandpura village were seen violating lockdown norms and throwing stones at doctors and police at the cremation ground.

Cops reportedly opened fire in the air to disperse the crowd and the cremation was performed after the mob was dispersed.

A doctor in reference to the COVID-19 suspect said, her coronavirus result is still awaited.

NDTV quoted civil surgeon Dr Kuldeep Singh as saying, the woman had asthma and on Monday afternoon she started facing difficulty in maintaining oxygen saturation. She died while undergoing treatment. We collected her samples for COVID-19 testing and after following the due procedure and SOPs we released her body for the cremation at a designated place to the district administration.

All SOPs for the cremation of a COVID-19 suspect as well as a confirmed patient is the same and that all safety measures were taken for this case as well, civil surgeon added.

The villagers unnecessarily opposed the cremation, Dr Singh told NDTV.

Police said that their efforts to pacify the villagers were useless.

We attempted to pacify them while informing that all the safety measures are being adopted, but they did not listen. Soon, they started throwing stones at doctors and policemen. They also damaged an ambulance. We had to use some force to disperse the crowd, Ambala Cantonment DSP Ram Kumar said, according to NDTV.

A case will be filed against the residents for violating the lockdown and attacking the police and doctors, he added.

Haryana has reported 289 positive cases as of now, 12 consirmed cases in Ambala.