Chennai

Woman inspector performs last rites of ragpicker

A woman police inspector on Friday performed the last rites of a rag picker who died in Otteri. Secretariat Colony police inspector Rajeswari had to step in after people refused to touch the body of the woman ragpicker, fearing epidemic.

migrator

Chennai

The deceased was identified as Prabhavathi, 60, who lives with two of her younger sisters on a platform near SM Nagar near Otteri Housing Board. As soon as inspector Rajeswari reached there, she covered the half-naked body with a saree.

The inspector, after wearing protective gear, bathed the body with soap and perfume and as per request from sisters of the deceased, took the body to Otteri graveyard to give a proper burial in the presence of a priest.

From the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdown, the inspector had informed the three sisters to stay indoors and not to step outside for picking rags. The inspector had also been providing the sisters with the required groceries since the beginning of the lockdown.

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