No help or money, man takes mom’s body on wheelchair to crematorium

TIRUCHY: In a heart wrenching incident in Manapparai, Tiruchy, a man drove the body of his mother by a wheelchair to the crematorium claiming that there was no money to meet the funeral expenses nor any support from the relatives.

P Rajeswari (74), a resident from Bharathiyar Nagar in Manapparai was residing with her son Muruganandam (50), a painter. Rajeswari was bed-ridden for the past four years and she had some dermatological issues.

Early on Thursday, Rajeswari passed away without responding to prolonged medication. At this juncture, Muruganandam thinking that no relative would come for help to cremate the body, wrapped it with a cloth and placed it in a wheelchair in a sitting position and pushed the chair to the crematorium at Sevalur, 4 km away from his house.

After reaching the crematorium, Muruganandam informed the staff there and asked them to cremate the body. The staff, who were shocked to find the mode of transport, asked him why he had pushed the body all the way in a wheelchair. Muruganandam immediately replied that he arrived at a decision that no one would come to help him to cremate the body due to the prolonged illness of the deceased.

When the staff asked him whether he sought any help from the government, he said that he was not aware of any such aides.

Subsequently, Muruganandam performed the last rites and cremated the body as the staff helped him.