Police and panchayat officials conducted the last rites of a senior citizen after his estranged children in foreign countries did not come to India after his death in Chikkodi on Saturday.
Moolachand Sharma of Nagarmunnoli village, 72, was admitted to a hospital in Nagarmunnoli a month ago. He died on Saturday.
Police sub inspector Basagouda Nerli found out that Mr. Sharma’s son was in in South Africa and his daughter in Canada. He connected with them via WhatsApp. When informed about the death, they explained that they had severed connections with their father a while ago due to personal reasons. “They said that the police were welcome to cremate him or do as they pleased with the body. Finally, a local panchayat member, the panchayat development officer and police officers together conducted the final rites,’‘ police sources said.
Mr. Sharma was a retired banker. He was left immobile after he suffered epileptic attacks. He also had difficulty breathing. His relatives had appointed a caregiver to nurse him. But after his contract expired, the caregiver left and Mr. Sharma was left unattended. When the local police came to know about it, they shifted him first to a local hospital and then to the district hospital.
