Doctor’s funeral party comes under attack

Mob protests burial in Chennai; last rites done with police protection

21/04/2020, SERENA JOSEPHINE M.,CHENNAI

Police at a burial ground at Velangadu, where locals opposed to allow the last rites of Dr. Simon Hercules (inset), who died of COVID-19 , in the early hours of Monday.

In a shocking repeat of what happened when a doctor from Andhra Pradesh died of COVID-19 a week ago, a mob attacked a group of persons, including doctors, during the burial a neurosurgeon who died after he tested positive for COVID-19 in a private hospital on Sunday.

The body of Simon Hercules, the 55-year-old doctor who heads a private hospital on Poonamallee High Road, was shifted from the private hospital to Chennai Corporation’s burial ground near Kilpauk on Sunday night. However, residents quickly gathered and protested.

Drama at midnight

“The Chennai Corporation staff had made all arrangements, and accompanied us from the private hospital to the burial ground. However, on reaching the spot, we found that around 200 persons had gathered and started to protest. Police were at the spot. The Corporation officials said we should go to another burial ground in Anna Nagar (Velangadu). We reached the burial ground and an earthmover was engaged for digging the pit. As per norms, only a few of us, including doctors and family members, gathered for the burial,” Pradeep Kumar, a consultant arthroscopy surgeon, said.

“Suddenly, some 50 to 60 persons began to attack us. They started to hurl stones and sticks at us. There were about seven to eight Corporation staff at the spot. We had to flee the spot. Some of us were bleeding. The windshield of the hospital ambulance was damaged by the attackers. We drove back in the same vehicle,” Dr. Kumar said. At around 11.30 p.m., the ambulance reached Kilpauk and Dr. Kumar along with two ward boys of the hospital decided to go back. “I wore the personal protective equipment and drove back in the ambulance. Police personnel were at the spot. The earthmover operator had also fled. We buried the doctor and closed the pit on our own. Our ward boys and police helped,” he said.