Demanding justice, the kin of a45-year-old tribal from Gujarat's Sabarkantha district hasrefused to perform his last rites and preserved the dead bodyfor over 60 days.
Jiva Bhumbariya's body was found at a secluded spotnear Magwas village in December.
Even though police investigations into Jiva's deathconcluded that he died in an accident, his family members havedisputed this version, saying Jiva was murdered by threepersons with whom he had a dispute over the payment of tractorrent.
"My brother Jiva was living in Magwas village ofBanaskantha. He was murdered by three persons following adispute over the payment of tractor rent about two monthsback," said Jiva's brother Navji Bhumbariya, at whose place inChikhla village the embalmed body has been kept wrapped inplastic sheets inside a box.
Jiva, according to his brother, had bought a tractoron loan and used to plough field of others to earn living.
"We had filed a police complaint. But afterinvestigation, Banaskantha police concluded it to be anaccidental death. After postmortem, we have kept his (Jiva's)body at home in a box..We want justice for my late brother",Bhumariya said.
According to him, police have recorded the statementof Jiva's daughter.
When contacted, Sabarkantha District CollectorShahmeena Hussain said it was the custom among some tribalcommunities to delay the last rites in such cases.
"A tribal had died in an accident in Banaskanthadistrict. Police had investigated and concluded it to be anaccidental death. Amongst the tribal families here there is apractice that unless samadhaan (settlement) takes place, theydo not cremate the body," she said, adding that the case isbeing looked into and the administration is hopeful ofbreaking the impasse.
When contacted, Banaskantha SP Ashok Yadav said, "Police are verifying the allegations levelled by the tribalfamily and carrying out further investigations".
On the demand of the tribal family for justice, the SPsaid, "The practise in the tribal families of not carrying outlast rites of the body unless 'samadhaan' (settlement) isreached is the reason behind the delay in cremation".
Tribal-dominated Sabarkantha district has asignificant population of Bhil and Dungri Garasia tribes.