ramgarh officials of the ramgarh district administration on friday held a symbolic cremation of a priest who died of covid19 and was buried on july 31 after locals and political outfits protested against his burial instead of the priests body his effigy was cremated on a pyrethe 70yearold priest at the towns radha krishna temple on the ramgarhranchi road died at his home after his death health workers collected his swab samples and put them through rapid antigen test through which he tested positive on the same day however instead of cremating the deceased his corpse was buried in a ninefeet deep pit dug up outside the townas the news about his burial broke locals vented their ire on social media and other platforms the district unit of bjp also joined the chorus members of the ramgarh brahmin samaj condemned the incident claiming it hurt the religious sentiments of the communityto quell the controversy which grew in proportions in the subsequent days officials held a symbolic cremation with the presence of the priests family members instead of the dead body an effigy was lit on the pyreramgarh sdo kirthi shree g said the deceased was buried after obtaining the consent of his family members however upon getting a written application from the family which sought a cremation arrangements of a symbolic cremation were made on friday in the presence of magistratelevel officialsramgarh subdivisional police officer anuj oraon who was present during symbolic cremation said since the corpse could not be exhumed from the grave due to contamination issues the family was suggested to hold a symbolic cremation with an effigy which they accepted