Balasore: In a deeply distressing incident, the body of a youth from Balasore district was allegedly exchanged during air transport from Bengaluru, leading to anguish and confusion for the bereaved family.
The deceased has been identified as Rakesh Sa (21), a resident of Mulising village under Soro Block in Balasore district. Rakesh had been working at a private company in Bengaluru.
According to reports, Rakesh died on August 10 after accidentally coming into contact with a live electric wire while on a rooftop. Though he was rushed to a nearby hospital by local residents, doctors declared him dead upon arrival.
Following the post-mortem, the Bengaluru police handed over the body to Rakesh’s family. Arrangements were made to transport the body by air to Odisha. However, upon receiving the body, the family was shocked to find that it was not Rakesh’s, but reportedly that of another youth from West Bengal.
“This is an extremely unfortunate incident. The body sent from Bengaluru was incorrectly tagged. When the family inspected the body, they realised it was not Rakesh. An ambulance has now been sent to Kolkata airport to retrieve the correct body. The family is in deep shock. This situation arose due to gross negligence and those responsible must be held accountable after a proper investigation,” said Satyanarayan Mohapatra, former Soro Panchayat Samiti chairman.
The family has filed a formal complaint with the local police, demanding the return of Rakesh’s body for his final rites.
