In a case of gross negligence, a courier service reportedly swapped the bodies of two persons by mistake while sending them to the family members of the deceased in two different states of Odisha and Rajasthan.
Not just that, but the kin of one of the deceased, Bilash Bhuyan, who belonged to Kuanasala village under Nemalo police station in Cuttack district, even carried out the final rites before being informed that they cremated the wrong body.
According to the Bilash family source, who was working in a private motor showroom in Mumbai, passed away suddenly following a brief illness a few weeks back. His final rites were carried out on Monday evening after a courier service sent his body.
But to the utter dismay of his family, Nemala police informed them that the body they cremated was not Bilash’s, but that of someone from Rajasthan. The matter came to light after the family in Rajasthan found that the other body received through the courier service was not theirs and filed a complaint with the police in Mumbai.
As the investigation began, it was found that the bodies got interchanged by the courier company with different addresses.
Following the incident, villagers expressed resentment and anger at the callous approach of the courier service.
“I found it difficult to identify the body which was sent to Bilash’s family. It looked slightly distorted but resembled Bilash and hence, all his family members were mistaken. The final rites were carried out, but to the shock of family members, they were later informed that the body was not that of Bilash," shared Sarat Kumar Mallik, a local.
Salepur Sub-Division Police Officer (SDPO) Bimal Barik informed that the family from Rajasthan is on their way to collect the mortal remains of their relative and are also bringing Bilash’s body with them.
