Dead carried on gurney in Odisha: Probe ordered

Phulbani: Kandhamal Collector Brundha D this evening ordered an inquiry into the incident of carrying the body of a minor girl on a gurney due to unavailability of a hearse at the District Headquarters Hospital here today under the Mahaprayan scheme.

The Collector directed Project Director (PD) District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) Tushar Kanta Mohanty to conduct an inquiry into the matter and submit a report within 48 hours.

“After the report is available we will be able to know who was at fault. I have asked PD DRDA to submit a report within 48 hours,” informed Brundha D.

Notably, a minor girl Aliva Pradhan (13), daughter of Chittaranjan Pradhan of Badangapaju village under Khajuripada police limits in the district had drowned in a river today while bathing.

She was rushed to the district headquarters hospital here but died on the way. The deceased girl’s father, Chittaranjan requested hospital authorities to provide a hearse to carry the body to their village 25 km away after the post-mortem was over.

As the hearse didn’t arrive despite a long wait, Chittaranjan decided to carry his daughter’s body on a gurney to the Collector’s office. While he was carrying the body towards the Collector’s office on the gurney, he was intercepted and stopped by the Town Police near the S P’s office.

Finally, a Mahaprayan vehicle was arranged by the police in which the deceased’s body was carried to her village.