Faulty oximeter made UP family believe their dead son was alive

Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh), Sep 30 (IANS) A faulty oximeter made a family believe that their deceased son was still alive.

The family that lived with the dead body of an income tax official for almost 18 months, has said that it was also their mother's strong superstition that prevented them from cremating the mortal remains of the deceased.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Lakhan Singh Yadav and his team that probed the incident, has submitted the report to Kanpur commissioner of police B.P. Jogdand.

The report said, "The entire family believed in the mother and began taking care of the body."

The report further said that the oximeter that was the source of Vimlesh's mother Ram Dulari's belief that her son was alive was faulty.

"They had placed it on the first finger permanently but it was faulty and gave readings and the family believed in these readings," the report said.

The team inspected Vimlesh's house, particularly the room where his body was kept, and talked to the family members one by one.

Vimlesh's wife Mitali Dixit told the team she knew he had passed away but everyone began saying he was alive and so she also believed them.

She told the police team that she had informed his office about his death but the family members sent another letter in which he was shown as ill.

The team, however, did not file any evidence that the family availed the salary of the deceased during the last 18 months.

"Still, we are looking into this and gathering details of the doctors the family consulted in these months. They will also be questioned," said the additional DCP.

Meanwhile, Vimlesh's brother Dinesh said he would lodge a complaint on the chief minister's portal against the police and health departments for "harassment" of the family.

"First, they forcibly cremated the body without any inquiry or investigation and now we are being harassed in name of this inquiry. I will formally file a complaint on CM's portal," he said.