In a traumatic journey from Langer Houz here to Vikarabad, 50 km away, a man who suffered from leprosy and begged on the streets trundled a pushcart with the body of his wife, to conduct her funeral in her native village.
Ramulu had no choice but to load Kavita’s body on the cart, as an ambulance cost Rs.5,000. The frail woman had also been afflicted by leprosy and died on November 4.
The journey on November 4 ended only after local residents in Vikarabad district’s MRP junction witnessed the unusual sight, and came together to help. Ramulu wanted to bury Kavita’s body at Maikod village in Manoor, in newly-formed Sangareddy district.
“After people collected money, I arranged for her body to be taken to Sangareddy in an ambulance,” G. Ravi, circle inspector, Vikarabad told The Hindu on Sunday.
Police said Ramulu reached Vikarabad at 3.30 p.m. on Saturday with the body. “He was heading towards Medak district actually. So we decided to help him. It takes another 80 km or so of travel to reach Manoor mandal from Vikarabad,” the inspector said.
Ramulu was noticed by passers-by as he walked around, crying inconsolably on the streets of Vikarabad. He pleaded with people and begged for money.
“I did not have any money with me and all I could do was to take her body to Maikod. The ambulance required Rs. 5,000, which I did not have. With no other option, I began to push the cart and lost my way and reached this town,” he told local residents.
Last rites
Kavita was suffering from some acute illness and succumbed to it, said Mr. Ravi.
The last rites for the woman were held in Maikod on Sunday after her relatives came from Bidar in Karnataka. The mandal revenue officials chipped in with Rs. 2,000 which they gave Ramulu.
(Additional reporting by R. Avadhani in Sangareddy)
