A septuagenarian who was kept in a freezer box by his brother and later found to be alive died after two days of treatment at the Government Salem Hospital on Friday.
The deceased person was 74-year-old Balasubramaniya Kumar. The health department officials are investigating a doctor of a private hospital who declared Kumar dead and issued a 'home death certificate' to his 70-year-old younger brother Saravanan.
According to police sources, Saravanan hired a freezer box after he received the certificate from the doctor, who was regularly treating Kumar. District Joint Director for Health Services Dr Malarvizhi said that an inquiry is on and a report will be sent to the Tamil Nadu Medical Council, which will initiate action against the doctor based on the outcome of the probe.
It may be noted that the Suramangalam police on Wednesday registered a case against Saravanan under section 287 (negligent conduct with respect to machinery) and 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others of the IPC. Following Kumar's death, the police altered the case and included section 174 (suspicious death) of CrPC.
Balasubramaniya Kumar was living with Saravanan and his sister's daughter Geetha.
Balasubramaniya Kumar had been bedridden with age-related ailments for the past two months and Saravanan and Geetha had been taking care of him. Last week, Geetha fell ill and was admitted to a private hospital in Coimbatore.
In her absence, Saravanan informed a company renting out freezer boxes that he needed a box as his brother had died. Staff from the company took the freezer box to Saravanan’s house on Monday evening and told him they would collect it the next day.
Balasubramaniya Kumar was placed in the box on Monday and remained in it overnight. Saravanan also informed his relatives of his brother's "death". However, when relatives reached the house on Tuesday afternoon, they were shocked to notice some movement from within the box.
On being asked about this, Saravanan allegedly told them his brother's soul was trying to leave the body. Alarmed, they called the Suramangalam police and finally moved Balasubramaniya Kumar to Salem GH, where he passed away as reported after two days of treatment.