Former Delhi MLA facilitating cremation of Covid victims

New Delhi, April 15 (IANS) Almost a year after getting infected by Covid while helping people in conducting the last rites of patients who died due to the virus infection, former Delhi MLA Jitender Singh Shunty has once again started doing the same. Shunty provides help through his social service organisation "Shahid Bhagat Singh Seva Dal (SBSSD) by facilitating transportation of coronavirus victims' bodies and also organises funerals when family members or relatives don't come forward to conduct the last rites.

Shunty, a former MLA from Shahdara and the founder of the SBSSD which has about two dozen volunteers and 18 hearse vans and ambulances, arranged transportation for over one thousand bodies of those who succumbed to the virus infection for the last rites. About 300 last rites were performed by Shunty and his team in the absence of family members of the dead.

"Since the outbreak of the disease last year, we have transported 1,084 bodies to cremation grounds and performed last rites of 296 patients, whose families weren't able to conduct them because either they were in quarantine or were reluctant to participate in the cremation due to coronavirus fear. Some have left the body at the mortuary or hospital. We performed last rites according to their faith and religion," said Shunty.