KURNOOL: In an inhumane act, the body of a nine-month pregnant woman was abandoned in the forest area of Rudravaram after the locals prevented the final rites of the woman in the village believing that cremating the body of a pregnant woman will be an ill omen to the village. Police were trying to convince the villagers to perform the last rites of the woman in the village when reports last came in.
According to information reaching the district headquarters, the woman, Lavanya, was married to Dharmendra, a daily wage worker from B Nagireddypalle village in Rudravaram village in the district. She went to her parents home in the neighbouring Sirivella mandal for delivery.
On Friday, she was shifted to Nandyal government hospital as she developed labour. However, she died the next day due to complications while delivery. The family members shifted her body to B Nagireddypalle for final rites and all preparations were made for burial of the body as per rituals.
The villagers, however, did not allow the burial of the body in the village as they believe that performing the last rites of a pregnant woman will bring bad omen to the village. They argued that the village will not receive rains if the pregnant woman's body is cremated in the village.
With no other option, the family members shifted the dead body to the forest area nearby and abandoned it there. Neighbouring villagers, who ventured into the forest to collect firewood, noticed the body on Saturday evening and alerted the Rudravaram police.
"After enquiry, we traced the family members of the deceased woman and are trying to convince the villagers to cremate the woman's body in the village,'' Rudravaram sub-inspector of police Rammohan Reddy told TNIE. He added that they will ask the family members to perform last rites in the forest itself if the village elders did not get convinced and allow the final rites in the village, the SI said.