Kolkata, Jun 22 (IANS): In a pathetic incident, a 53-year old woman's body remained on the roadside for more than seven hours amid coronavirus scare at Bally's Hapta Bazar in the Howrah district on Monday, the police said.

According to sources, Rajkumari Jain died of respiratory issues in the morning. The residents of her apartment refused to allow the body inside the campus as their son Wrik had tested Covid-19 positive on June 17 and was admitted to a private hospital in Kolkata.

Rajkumari was there at the hospital with her son till June 19. After returning home, she started having respiratory issues.

According to the police, Rajkumari was taken to a nursing home at Ghusuri where she was declared brought dead. Her husband Rajkumar Jain returned to their apartment with the body in an ambulance. But the residents of 97 Bireswar Chatterjee Street staged a protest and didn't allow the body in.

The body was on the road for hours as the husband tried to make necessary arrangements for cremation. Later, local residents informed the police and the Howrah Municipal Corporation (HMC) about the incident.

After an intervention of local ex-councillor Prabir Chatterjee, the body was sent to the Howrah State General Hospital around 2.30 p.m.

The police said it was yet to be ascertained if Rajkumari died of Covid-19. But she would be cremated at a dedicated Covid-19 crematorium, police sources said.