Noida: Barely days after a daily wager in Faridabad was forced to transport his wife's body on a wooden pushcart for nearly 15km after failing to secure a govt ambulance or afford a private one, a family in Noida was refused a shroud for their son's body by the post-mortem house staff when they refused to pay up Rs 3,000.
The family from Roja Jalalpur claimed they were forced to clothe the body themselves after Sector 94 post-mortem house staff insisted they use an ambulance arranged by the facility instead of a private one already hired by them. When the family declined, the staff allegedly demanded money to cover the body and provide a stretcher.
A video, which surfaced on Tuesday and prompted the chief medical officer (CMO) to order an inquiry into the conduct of the staff, showed the body lying bare on the floor as a few distraught family members tried to put a shroud on it. The deceased, Rachit (24) from Roja Jalalpur, was found dead at home on Sunday. Police probe indicated the death was prima facie a suicide. The autopsy was conducted on Monday.
"I told the staff we had already arranged an ambulance, but they kept insisting that we cancel it and take theirs. When we refused, they refused to cover the body or even give us a stretcher. They gave it to us in a plastic bag and left it on the floor," said Rahul, a relative of the deceased.
With no assistance forthcoming, the family said they were left with little choice but to manage on their own. Rahul claimed the driver of the private ambulance provided sheets, which the family used to cover the body.
Taking cognisance of the video, the CMO Dr Narendra Kumar said strict action would follow if the allegations are proven. He also set up a probe under the post-mortem house incharge Dr Jaish Lal and sought a report within three days. "We have taken note of the video circulating on social media and an inquiry has been ordered. If any staff member is found guilty of misconduct or demanding money, strict action will be taken," he said.
Health department officials said statements of the staff on duty, the family members and others present at the PM house at the time of the incident will be recorded as part of the inquiry.
The family, meanwhile, has not filed a formal complaint. "We are already shattered. Rachit was a daily-wage labourer and the only earning member. We don't have the strength to pursue this further," he added.
Last week, TOI had highlighted how a daily wage labourer from Faridabad, Jhunjhun, who earned a living by hiring a pushcart, was forced to transport his wife Anuradha's body on the same pushcart for nearly 15km from Badshah Khan (BK) Civil Hospital after private ambulance operators demanded Rs 700 to take the body home. Their seven-year-old son, seated beside the body, was seen repeatedly trying to cover his mother with a cloth—a moment captured on video that went viral on social media.
Ashni Dhaor is a Special Correspondent with the Times of India, w...
Read MoreAshni Dhaor is a Special Correspondent with the Times of India, with over a decade of experience across print, electronic, and digital media. She specialises in long-form features, grassroots civic-policy investigations, and human-interest stories, covering urban development, local governance, nightlife, and evolving lifestyle trends in Noida and Ghaziabad.
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