Last ride to last rites - Auto Babu gives both

Auto Babu is indeed a godsend for unidentified and unclaimed bodies. Right from picking up the bodies, Babu ensures that each body undergoes postmortem before the last rites. Naseer Khan, aka Auto Babu, runs autorickshaw to eke out a living. On being tipped-off about bodies, Babu rushes to the spot and takes them to hospital for further procedure, be it during the day or midnight.
Many police officers, who have his contact number, alert him about such bodies. "I have been doing this for the past 20 years without expecting anything in return," says Babu. He has not kept the count of bodies that he has attended to. It's almost daily affair for him. On Sunday too, he attended to two bodies.
Speaking about his mission, Babu said it all started from the time when he owned an ambulance. Along with police officials, he went to different places to lift the bodies so they could be ferried to hospital. He even performs the last rites, complete with rituals, if the body is a member of his community. "I only see bodies as that of humans. It makes me feel gratified," he said. He does not mind spending time and money for his mission, meager income notwithstanding.
Police take his help after conducting necessary procedures and legal formalities. "We perform last rites at the crematorium if a body remains unclaimed four days after being spotted," he added.
This apart, Babu also donates blood to needy patients. Further, he wants to set up a free ambulance service and help the poor.
Babu, born on October 6, 1964, at Mandi Mohalla here, had never been to school. His wife is a homemaker, while his elder son works at a private firm in Bangalore. Two other sons are studying in high school.