An elderly woman in Andhra Pradesh’s Kurnool district cremated her husband’s body at their home. The incident happened on May 29th at around 10 am in the Terubazar area of Pattikonda town. Lalita (58) had been the sole caregiver for her husband, Harikrishna Prasad (65), who had been paralyzed since 2016. Harikrishna used to operate a medical shop, which served as their source of income. However, after his severe ailment, the couple faced financial challenges.
Lalita did not inform any relatives when her husband passed away in the early hours of Monday morning. She made the decision to perform his last rites at home, as she believed she would not receive any assistance for the cremation. Lalita utilized old clothes and books for the cremation process. She even informed her son about the incident through a video call. Concerned neighbors noticed smoke emanating from the house and promptly alerted the police.
Murali Mohan, the Circle Inspector (CI) of Pathikonda, stated that Lalita tried to kill herself, but she was stopped by the neighbors. However, the police refuted reports suggesting that Lalita’s decision to cremate her husband at home stemmed from her apprehension that informing her sons would lead to property disputes. The police have registered a case and initiated further investigation into the incident. The couple had two sons, with the elder son employed at a private hospital in Kurnool and the younger son settled in Canada. The elder son would occasionally visit the family.
