Assam COVID-19 victim cremated in Delhi, no family members present

Guwahati: Ajit Saikia, a COVID-19 victim from Bokakhat, Assam whose body was lying at the morgue of Lok Nayak Jay Prakash Narayan Hospital in New Delhi since May 7, was cremated in New Delhi in presence of representatives of Assam Bhawan on Tuesday.

However, no relatives of the victim were present during the cremation. Now, video footage and pictures relating to the cremation will be officially submitted to the bereaved family members of the deceased shortly.

Also Read: Delhi govt kept mum over Assam man’s death for 10 days?

Meanwhile, sources close to family members of Ajit Saikia have thanked Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal for his initiative to take care of the body.

Assam secretariat sources informed EastMojo that as soon as the news relating to the alleged apathy of the Delhi government in this regard came to light, Sonowal talked with Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal over phone and requested him to take his personal care into the case.

Earlier, Bonti Saikia, wife of Ajit Saikia, had authorised Assam Bhawan officials in the national capital to perform the last rites of her husband.

In a surprising turn of events, Ajit Saikia (64), a retired Assam agriculture department, died in New Delhi due to COVID-19 on May 7 and his family members alleged negligence of duty by Delhi government and expressed serious concern over the fact that family members were allegedly informed about the incident almost 10 days after his death.

Family members alleged that they were informed about the death on May 17 while Ajit Saikia, who hails from Bokakhat, died on May 7. For almost 10 days, the body was in the morgue of the hospital.

Also Read: Assam girl asked to vacate house or pay 10k rent in Delhi 

“How can they sit around a dead body for 10 days and not do anything? Why they were telling lies to the family members?” the younger sister of the deceased alleged.

Expressing serious concern over the development, Assam MLA Jayanta Malla Baruah, who is also the chairman of Assam Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC), has termed it as an irresponsible attitude of Delhi government and has condemned the incident.

Meanwhile, urging the Assam government to take initiative so that Bonti Saikia and one of their attendants, Kankanjyoti Saikia, can return to the state safely, family members of the deceased have also requested the state government to order for a high-level inquiry into the whole incident.