Karnataka: Cops Who Helped A Son Carry The Dead Body Of His 80-Yr-Old Father Rewarded By SP
Karnataka police have shown a humanitarian gesture carrying the dead body of an 80-year-old man after villagers refused to help.
Residents of Gulgodi village reportedly refused to carry the dead body as they believed that it was inauspicious to touch a corpse during ‘Daiva Nema’ – a ritual they were observing.
The police officers extended their helping hands carrying the corpse along with the son of the deceased. Two police officers and the deceased person’s son Asalappa carried the body on their shoulders to his house in Gulgodi village, in Dakshina Kannada, as reported by The Times of India.
According to the information given by the police, Asalappa cried for help, but no one including his closest relatives came forward to help him. “Asalappa’s house is located atop a hill. It was next to impossible for his son to carry the body to the house. Though he cried for help, nobody came to the rescue. This is when the police pitched in,” said B R Ravikanthe Gowda, Superintendent of Police, Dakshina Kannada to The Times of India.
When alerted by a reporter from a Kannada daily, Kadaba Sub-Inspector Prakash Devadiga and Assistant Sub-Inspector Ravi reached the spot. Even though the cops requested the locals to help Asalappa, they were not ready to help him saying they would become impure. Without a second thought, they along with home guard Sandesh helped Asalappa to carry the corpse.
“The hill is very steep, no vehicle or ambulance can scale the uneven terrain. So, we decided to carry the body down ourselves. We placed the body on a wooden bench, wrapped a cloth around it, bound it with a strong twine and made our way down,” ASI Ravi told The News Minute.
Some locals alleged that Daiva Nema was not the only reason to refuse the help. “Apparently Asalappa’s son Ravi, who belongs to the Gowda community, had married a girl from a local Poojari (Billava) community. It looks like the family had been ostracised by some of the locals due to the inter-caste wedding,” a resident, told The News Minute.
Dakshina Kannada Superintendent of Police BR Ravikanthe Gowda has announced a reward for the cops, and send them a letter of appreciation.