Kanpur, 26 Sept: Kanpur police formed a special squad to investigate an incidence in which a family was discovered living with the body of a 35-year-old man who died during the Covid-19 outbreak around a year and a half ago.
Anand Prakash Tiwari, Joint Commissioner of Police (JCP), has formed a team to probe the case. The squad would be led by ADCP (West) Lakhan Singh Yadav, according to the JCP. “The team’s attention will be on what method the family members used to preserve the body from rotting and why the relatives kept the dead body safe in the house for so long,” he added. Police are also contacting the deceased’s office, bank and other departments.
“If the department in question requests a criminal inquiry, it will be conducted. If someone is found to be guilty, action will be taken against him or her as well. It will also be addressed what criminal provisions exists in the law for disrespecting a dead body,” the JCP added.
On April 22, 2021, Vimlesh Dixit died as a result of abrupt cardiac respiratory syndrome, and a death certificate was provided by a private hospital. The body of the Income Tax Department employee was not cremated and was kept at home for over 18 months, presuming he was in a coma. The fact that the dead corpse did not smell and was not entirely rotted perplexes the police and the public.
The flesh had dried up and become entangled with the bones. According to family members, no paste or substance was put on Vimlesh’s body at this time. Vimlesh’s body was cleaned everyday with ‘Gangajal,’ and his clothing were replaced every two to three days. On September 23, a team of health authorities, police officers, and the magistrate arrived at the person’s residence in the Rawatpur area to investigate the bizarre occurrence.
When the I-T Department notified the family members that Vimlesh had not been attending office for the previous year and a half and further inquired about his whereabouts, they argued that he was alive and in a coma, according to Dr Ranjan, chief medical officer. Neighbours reported to authorities that the family members were frequently observed carrying oxygen cylinders home. Dixit’s wife looked to be mentally disturbed, according to the police.
