Man hangs to death after wife tests positive, family of 10 being tested

While the police said that they are yet to ascertain the reason for the act, the man’s relatives alleged that he was stressed due to his wife having tested Covid-19 positive.

Hours after a woman tested positive for coronavirus (Covid-19), her 54-year-old husband hanged to death from a ceiling fan at his house in Sector 12 on Wednesday night. Samples of others staying in the house have been taken for testing and the family has been asked to quarantine.

A relative of the family who stays at the residence, requesting anonymity, said that samples of 10 people living in the house were collected by the authorities for testing on Thursday.

While the police said that they are yet to ascertain the reason for the act, the man’s relatives alleged that he was stressed due to his wife having tested Covid-19 positive.

According to the police, the man used to work with the servicing department of an automobile company in the city, while the woman was a homemaker. She is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital in Sector 9.

A relative of the family who stays at the residence, requesting anonymity, said that samples of 10 people living in the house were collected by the authorities for testing on Thursday.

This the first positive case of coronavirus in Sector 12. The area is not listed as one of the 24 containment zones, but the police have put up barricades on both sides of the lane leading to the residence.

The relative said, “A week ago, his wife had an upset stomach and was admitted to a nearby hospital. She was later told to get tested for the coronavirus disease and shifted to another hospital in Sector 9. On Wednesday night, the husband was informed that she had tested positive for the disease. He then returned home and went into his room. He was worried about her and did not talk to us.”

The relative said the man was found hanging from a ceiling fan around 7am on Thursday.

The man’s son, who works at the pharmacy of a private hospital in Palam Vihar, said, “I had left for the night shift around 11pm. He seemed fine at that time. When I returned from work the next morning, I got to know that he had hanged himself.”

“I do not know how the woman contracted the coronavirus. Her daughter-in-law (a nurse at a Sector 38 hospital) was not going to work. Although her son has been going to the pharmacy, he has not shown any symptom,” said the family member, while waiting outside the house on Thursday afternoon for authorities to send someone for disinfecting the premises.

A team from Sector 14 police station was sent to the spot after they received the information, said officials.

Subhash Boken, spokesperson, city police, “We are yet to confirm if the deceased’s wife tested positive for coronavirus. We still do not know the exact reason behind the incident. The police officials were fully equipped with personal protective equipment (PPE) kits and went to the spot to collect the body. We are investigating the matter.” Police have initiated inquest proceedings under Section 174 of the code of criminal procedure (CrPC).

A neighbour, requesting anonymity, said, “We got to know about the incident when the police came to his house around 8am. It was only then that we were informed about the woman having tested positive.”

According to the health department, a post-mortem examination will be conducted on Friday, after testing whether the man had been infected.

Dr Jaswant Singh Punia, chief medical officer, said, “The team has taken swabs from the nose and throat of the body, which has been sent to PGIMS Rohtak for testing. On Friday, we will get the results which would help us in contact tracing and investigating how the woman contracted coronavirus.”

“We have been sending samples from bodies for RT-PCR testing to confirm whether the person had been infected with the virus. But none of these samples sent so far has tested positive.”

(with inputs from Archana Mishra)