A video purportedly showing a Covid-19 victim's body being dumped into the bank of Saura river in Bihar's Katihar district has gone viral on social media. Katihar's District Magistrate Udayan Mishra has cross verified the video clip and found it to be true. The incident took place on May 7. "Soon after we have learnt about the incident, an inquiry panel headed by city's Magistrate, SDO and SDPO of the area, was constituted who later visited the Bheria Rahika village on Sunday.

During investigation, it was found that the person died of Covid-19 on May 6," Mishra told IANS. "As per the statement of the deceased's brother, his kin did not have enough money to cremate the body. Moreover, the villagers told the family members that cremation of Covid-19 victim could be a hazardous to health for others. Hence, they had dug an 8 feet deep pit in their own land to bury the body," Mishra said.