CHHATARPUR: A Dalit man and a few members of his family in Buxwaha tehsil of Madhya Pradesh's Chhatarpur district had to walk some distance carrying the body of his four-year-old daugher in arms as the local authorities allegedly did not provide a hearse to them to return to their village.
The incident occurred on June 6, and its video has gone viral on social media, prompting the authorities to carry out an inquiry.
The officials confirmed that the incident did take place, but claimed that the family had to carry the body for about 200 metres only, while the acquaintances of the affected ones said the distance covered by them was more than one km.
Talking to reporters on Thursday, Mansukh Ahirwar (60) said his granddaughter Radha fell sick on Monday, after which he along with her father Laxman and his younger son rushed the minor girl to Damoh, over 50 km from Buxwaha - to the district hospital in adjoining Damoh for treatment.
"But she died at the district hospital around 2 pm the same day. Thereafter, we asked for an ambulance to carry her mortal remains to our village, but were cold shouldered by the hospital staff," he said.
"Left with no choice, we wrapped the child in a cloth, boarded a bus and reached Buxwaha as we did not have money to hire a private vehicle. Then we asked Buxwaha Nagar Panchayat to provide a vehicle to us so that we can take the body to our Paudi village, about five km from the tehsil headquarters, but we did not get a positive response," he claimed.
After that the three members of the family took turns to carry the girl's body in arms to cover the distance, he said.
According to their acquaintances, the family members carried the body for over one km.
Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Rahul Siladiya said that after the incident came to light a probe was conducted into it.
"It was found that such incident did take place," he said.
However, he said that as soon as Baxwaha's chief municipal officer came to know about the incident, he sent a hearse to the Ahirwars.
Siladiya also claimed that the family membrs carried the body for 200 metres on foot before it was provided help.