Delhi Police help perform last rites of retired major general of Afghanistan Army

According to the police, while Wardak, with the help of Afghan embassy, was successful in sending his wife back to Afghanistan, he was left behind and succumbed to the disease a day later at the hotel where he was staying.

Police had received a call on April 23 regarding his death. “His wife tested positive on April 21, but Wardak did not get tested himself. He had some mild symptoms, and with the help of Afghan Embassy, his wife was sent to Afghanistan,” a senior police officer said. (Representational)

The Delhi Police helped perform the last rites of a 71-year-old retired major general of Afghanistan Army who died of Covid-19. Mohd. Karim Wardak, a decorated army officer, had come to the national capital to get his wife treated for cancer at a city hospital. He was buried at Delhi gate graveyard, the police said.

Wardak, a popular tribal leader of Afghanistan, had come to India on April 21 and was staying at a hotel in old Delhi’s Nabi Kareem area. His wife had tested positive for Covid-19. While he too had mild symptoms, he did not get himself tested. The couple were to board a flight back home on April 24, said an official of the Central district police, who helped bury him.

According to the police, while Wardak, with the help of Afghan embassy, was successful in sending his wife back to Afghanistan, he was left behind and succumbed to the disease a day later at the hotel where he was staying.

After receiving the call, police rushed to the spot and a sub-inspector was asked to handle the case.

“Police coordinated with the Afghan embassy and connected with his son Mohd. Nasser Noorzad, who said he was unable to come to India for his father’s last rites. Senior officials of the Delhi Police coordinated with the Ministry of Extra Affairs (MEA) to contact the embassy for help, and the Afghan embassy deputed one Major Atiqul Rahman to perform his last rites,” the police official said. Wardhak’s samples were taken at the time of preserving his body, which tested positive for Covid.

Mahender Singh Manral

Mahender Singh Manral is an Assistant Editor with the national bureau of The Indian Express. He is known for his impactful and breaking stories. He covers the Ministry of Home Affairs, Investigative Agencies, National Investigative Agency, Central Bureau of Investigation, Law Enforcement Agencies, Paramilitary Forces, and internal security. Prior to this, Manral had extensively reported on city-based crime stories along with that he also covered the anti-corruption branch of the Delhi government for a decade. He is known for his knack for News and a detailed understanding of stories. He also worked with Mail Today as a senior correspondent for eleven months. He has also worked with The Pioneer for two years where he was exclusively covering crime beat. During his initial days of the career he also worked with The Statesman newspaper in the national capital, where he was entrusted with beats like crime, education, and the Delhi Jal Board. A graduate in Mass Communication, Manral is always in search of stories that impact lives. ... Read More

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