Bihar: A 91-year-old Mahadalit woman was cremated at a road intersection in Bihar’s Vaishali district last week after her family was allegedly denied access to the cremation ground due to encroachments blocking the pathway.
The incident occurred in the Goraul block. According to the woman’s family, local shopkeepers had encroached upon the route leading to the cremation site. Despite repeated requests and arguments, they were allegedly prevented from carrying the body through the pathway. With no alternative available, the family performed the last rites on the road, the report said.
Residents told the media that access to the cremation ground has been obstructed for years because of a nearby temple and other encroachments, causing repeated difficulties during funerals in the area.
Following the circulation of videos of the incident on the internet, Vaishali District Magistrate Varsha Singh visited the site along with senior police officials. She said that villagers had earlier been accessing the cremation ground by passing through private land.
“Due to the construction of shops by the landowners, the pathway has been blocked, and people are no longer able to use that footpath,” The Indian Express quoted Singh as saying. “In this context, the family carried out the cremation on the road.”
The district magistrate said discussions had been held with local stakeholders to resolve the issue. She added that if the landowners provide a no-objection certificate, arrangements would be made under a government scheme to ensure easy access to the cremation ground.
Singh also said that a committee headed by the deputy development commissioner, with the additional superintendent of police (traffic) and the district welfare officer as members, had been constituted to inquire into the matter. She added that explanations had been sought from local administrative and police officials.
On the district magistrate’s directive, the salaries of the block development officer, circle officer and the station house officer of Goraul have been withheld, The New Indian Express reported.