Dalit’s last rites not allowed, body brought back, funeral held in front of home

Correspondent

Newsbits.in

BHOPAL: The last rites of an elderly man couldn’t be performed as local strongmen didn’t let the deceased’s kin conduct the funeral.

This incident occurred in Bhind district.

Kaptan Valmik, 60, a resident of Lohri Ka Pura village in Bhind district, passed away on the night intervening December 23 and 24. He had been admitted in a hospital in Gwalior.

The family members brought the body to the village. They took the body to the cremation ground. However, just when the last rites were about to begin, the Dalit family was asked to leave the place.

The family members said that they had no other option and decided to conduct last rites near their house. “We were forced to go away. Hence, we decided to perform the rites outside our house”, said Ram Awtar Valmik, the son of the deceased.

Local police officials said that they had received information about the death and an ambulance was sent, however, by the time when they reached, the last rites were over.

District administration has now taken cognisance of the incident. The sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Dr Yunus Qureshi told journalists that official team has been sent to the village. “We are conducting a probe and will take action after the report is out”, he added.

Communist party of India (Marxist) has reacted sharply to the incident. "This is really shocking that the last rites were not allowed and later it was performed outside the house", said Jasvinder Singh, state secretary of the CPIM.

The police have now registered a case in this regard. Some of the accused (those who had stopped last rites in the crematorium) have been arrested. Further, investigation is on in t his regard.