Bari: In yet another incident of dignity being denied in death, a youth’s dead body was seen being carried on a trolley in Bari area in Jajpur district. And the trolley was being pulled by none other than men in khaki.
The incident occurred Friday but it has been a topic of discussion here with some people condemning the act and holding the local administration responsible.
The deceased was identified as Ranjan Kumar Kar (39) of Shankarakul village of Ishanapur panchayat in Bari block.
According to locals, Ranjan had come to the local market three days ago for some works. But he never returned home. His body was found floating at Ishanpur ghat. Local people immediately informed Ramchandrapur police who reached the spot and with help of local youths fished out the body. To take the body to the hospital for post mortem, neither a hearse nor an ambulance reached the spot. The policemen put the body wrapped in polythene sheet on the trolley and pulled it along the road in full public view.
Since the time the incident came to the fore, intellectuals, senior citizens and common people of the locality have been critical of the local administration. They asked why the administration did not make any arrangements to carry the body.
Few days ago, a woman in labour pain did not get ambulance facility and delivered a baby under a tree at Bhawanipur village in Bari block.
Even as such incidents are repeatedly happening, why the administration is still taking them casually, they asked.
In this regard when ABDO Maheswar Sethi was contacted, he said, “We had received the information regarding recovery of the dead body. But the police and other officers presented at the spot had not informed us about how the body was being taken. They did it on their own choice.”
PNN