Disturbing video shows the 74-year-old gasping inside the box.
Salem, Tamil Nadu:
In a shocking incident that sparked outrage, a critically ill 74-year-old man in the Salem district of Tamil Nadu was rescued from a freezer box Tuesday. His family was reportedly waiting for him to die after he was discharged from the hospital and forced to spend the night in the box, which is used to store dead bodies.
The man was found alive by an executive Tuesday when he came to remove the freezer box, which had been taken from an agency by the 74-year-old man’s brother. The executive raised the alarm and tried to get help, authorities said.
Disturbing video shows the 74-year-old man out of breath inside the box. The man, identified as Balasubramania Kumar, has been admitted to a hospital.
Authorities investigating the incident said the 74-year-old was recently discharged from a hospital in critical condition. However, his brother had asked for a freezer box while supposedly waiting for him to die.
An agency executive, who gave the family the freezer box, raised the alarm upon seeing the man alive, prompting the man’s rescue.
Deivalingam, an advocate who provides free vehicles to transport bodies, also rushed to the man’s home and learned of the incident. “The man was inside all night. The agency executive panicked and alerted me. The family told me: ‘The spirit has not left and we are waiting.’
A police officer told NDTV: “A case of negligent and life-threatening conduct has been recorded. We are investigating.”
The old man retired from a private company as a grocer, according to police. He lives with his widowed brother and a niece who has different abilities.
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