No money to cremate, West Bengal doctor lives with sister’s body for three days

By Aishik Chanda|

Express News Service |

Published: 28th December 2017 03:15 PM

Nilmani Dhara sits by his sister’s body in Uluberia in West Bengal. (Express Photo Service)

KOLKATA: An aged doctor was found living with the decomposing body of his sister in Uluberia in the Howrah district of West Bengal. He couldn't cremate her, allegedly due to lack of money.

The corpse was finally cremated on Wednesday evening after police intervened.

While 70-year-old Nilmani Dhara slept beside the dead body of his sister Karabi (63) for three days, his second sister Purabi was bedridden in the next room. None of the three siblings was married.

Sources said Karabi Dhara was admitted to Uluberia sub-divisional hospital on December 24 where she breathed her last. However, Nilmani returned home with his sister’s body on the morning of December 25 as he did not have money to cremate her.

Locals claimed that despite being offered financial assistance to cremate Karabi, Nilmani refused any help from his neighbours and took the body inside his house. Finally, unable to bear the stench emanating from the house, locals informed the police who entered the house and recovered the body on Wednesday evening.

Nilamani initially tried to resist police intervention but was finally convinced by the locals to open the door to let the cops in. The police then took the body to the cremation grounds where Nilamani performed the final rites. Police bore the cost of cremation.

A doctor by profession, Nilamani was an anatomy professor at a medical college, He lost his job in 2006 following disputes with the management, as a result of which he has not been receiving a pension. Locals claimed that since then, he has found it increasingly difficult to manage the household expenses.

He even sold a few of his land holdings to run the family but refused to take any financial assistance from neighbours or even socialise with them.

A similar incident created ripples when Partha De, a 46-year-old man in Kolkata, was found living with the skeleton of his sister Debjani and two dogs. After being released from a mental hospital, the 47-year-old software engineer self-immolated, earlier this year.