Ambulance denied in UP’s Sambhal district: Man carries nephew’s body on shoulder, motorcycle

A man was forced to carry the body of his nephew on his shoulder and later on a motorcycle after employees of a government community health centre allegedly denied him an ambulance at Bahjoi in Sambhal district.(Source: Google Maps)

A MAN carried the body of his nephew on his shoulder and later on a motorcycle to their village after the employees of a government community health centre (CHC) allegedly denied him a vehicle at Bahjoi in Sambhal district. The district magistrate has ordered a probe into the incident, which allegedly took place on Thursday. The CHC, meanwhile, has claimed that no one from the deceased’s family asked for a vehicle and had left in a hurry with the body after the police were informed about the death. The CHC had informed the police as the deceased, Surajpal (18), had died when he got trapped under the debris of mud while cleaning a borewell in Sadabbadi village.

Surajpal was a resident of Bachi Kheda village in Bulandshahr’s Anoopshahr area and had come to Sadabbadi on Tuesday to clean the borewell. Surajpal’s uncle Gopichand said his nephew was cleaning a 20-ft deep borewell when suddenly the earth caved in and he got trapped under the debris. Gopichand, who was also working at the spot, raised an alarm and with help from other labourers removed the rubble to rescue Surajpal. However, it was over 40 minutes before he could be rescued. Surajpal, who was found unconscious, was taken the CHC — around 5 km away — on a motorcycle, where doctor declared him brought dead on arrival, Gopichand said.

He alleged that while he requested doctors and other staff at the CHC to arrange for a vehicle to take the body home, they refused. When contacted, CHC in charge Dr B L Viratia said: “I was on leave on Thursday. I have come to know through two doctors and the ward boy who was on duty that day that after Surajpal was declared dead, the villagers took away his body without informing anyone. They also said none of the villagers asked for a vehicle.”

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“I have come to know that when the villagers came to know that police have been informed, they took away the body without informing anybody at the CHC. Postmortem was not conducted. When requested, we generally arrange vehicles to ferry bodies,” said Sambhal District Hospital Chief Medical Officer Dr Amita Singh. She added that on Thursday as well, such vehicles were stationed at the district hospital. The district hospital is 25 km from the CHC at Bahjoi.

DM Anand Kumar Singh said: “I came to know about the matter through media… Action will be initiated on the basis of the probe, which will be completed at the earliest.” On Friday, Sub-Divisional Magistrate Pratipal Singh Chauhan, who is probing the incident, recorded the statement of Gopichand and other villagers. He also met the doctors at the CHC.