West Bengal Deputy Magistrate Debdutta Ray dies of COVID-19

Guwahati: Debdutta Ray, a West Bengal Deputy Magistrate on Monday became the first senior civil servant to succumb to the respiratory disease, reports said.

Ray, 38, who was posted in the Hooghly district of West Bengal, died at a private hospital in Serampore on Monday. Ray was a West Bengal Civil Service (Executive) officer and posted as deputy magistrate at Chandannagore in the Hooghly district. She is survived by her husband and a four-year-old son.

Though the bureaucrat had tested COVID-19 positive last week at a hospital in Barrackpore in North 24 Parganas district, where she lived, she opted for home quarantine. Her condition suddenly deteriorated on Sunday and she was rushed to the hospital where she breathed her last.

The bureaucrat's demise soon became known on social media and many social media denizens expressed their sorrow at the demise of the officer who had earned plaudits for playing a key role in Bengal's fight against the dreaded disease.

Dutta's demise was condoled by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who tweeted that she was "grieved to hear about the untimely passing away of Debdatta Ray. "A young WBCS (Exe) Officer, she was at the forefront fighting the pandemic & displayed outstanding devotion in the discharge of her duties", Didi said.

The Chief Minister informed that she also spoke to the deceased official's husband and extended her deepest condolences. "May the departed soul rest in peace and lord give her family strength to endure this loss", Mamata wrote.

It has now been learned that Ray was very active in the fight against the contagious disease. According to media reports, Ray was overseeing the movement of migrant workers housed at a transit camp in Dankuni after they arrived in Shramik Special trains run by the Government from different states amid the disease-triggered lockdown.

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