A 55-year-old Muslim man, who died of cardiac arrest, was laid to rest in a Hindu burial ground in Hyderabad after caretakers at a city graveyard refused his burial on suspicion of having died of COVID-19.

Action has been initiated against six caretakers by the Waqf Board for denying him burial. With the help of two young men – Sandeep and Sekhar – Miya was laid to rest at the Hindu burial site.

‘We could not take the dead body to our native place as it’s over 200 km away in Kurnool (Andhra Pradesh). What were we supposed to do in such a condition?’ India Today quoted a relative of Khaja Miya as saying.

Following this incident, a dedicated burial site for COVID-19 patients was created at the outskirts of Hyderabad, in Balapur. The establishment of the site was suggested by Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi and his brother Akbaruddin Owaisi. At least 14 people have been buried here after their families were turned away by local graveyards.

Amid the COVID-19 crisis, burials are taking place under strict government supervision. They are usually being done at night, with a limited number of family members being allowed to be present while the last rites of the deceased are performed.

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