A 25-year-old Indian man, Rohitash Kumar, narrowly escaped being cremated alive after he awoke on a funeral pyre moments before it was to be set alight.
The shocking incident, attributed to a botched medical procedure, has sparked outrage and led to the suspension of three doctors in Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan.
Kumar, who had hearing and speech difficulties, was rushed to a hospital on Thursday after reportedly suffering an epileptic seizure.
However, he was declared dead on arrival, and instead of conducting a mandatory post-mortem, medical staff prepared a post-mortem report and sent his body to the mortuary for cremation.
Singh, the chief medical officer of the hospital, admitted the lapse, telling AFP, “A doctor prepared the post-mortem report without actually doing the post-mortem, and the body was then sent for cremation.”
In a twist of fate, Kumar began moving on the funeral pyre just as it was about to be lit.
Kumar was rushed back to the hospital, where he received immediate treatment. However, his condition deteriorated, and he was confirmed dead on Friday.
The incident has drawn widespread criticism, with authorities suspending three doctors involved in the case. Local police have also launched an investigation to determine the circumstances leading to the mishandling of Kumar’s case.
