Father carries two-year-old daughter’s body on two-wheeler

TIRUPATI: In another grim scene, a father carried the body of his two-year-old daughter on a motorbike from the Community Health centre (CHC) in Naidupeta to his native Kothapalli in Doravarisatram mandal in Tirupati district, on Thursday.

The incident came to light on Friday when a video of the father carrying the corpse on the bike went viral on social media.

Chembeti Akshaya (2), daughter of Srinivasulu and Aruna, drowned in a gravel pit near Kothapalli tank in Doravarisatram Mandal. The child was playing close to the tank along with her four-year-old brother, and the two fell in it. A villager, Naguraiah, who was in the vicinity, managed to rescue the boy while Akshaya drowned.

Srinivasulu and Aruna, a daily labour couple, shifted Akshaya to the Naidupeta area hospital in a 108-ambulance. Doctors declared her already dead. The couple appealed to the 108 staff to shift the body to their village.

The staff rejected their request by saying the service has no provision to shift bodies in the ambulance. The family was short of money to hire a hearse. It shifted the corpse on a motorbike to Kothapalli.

Additional CEO, Aarogyasri Health Care Trust, Vijayawada, said the 108-ambulance staff, as soon as they received information about the children drowning in the gravel pit, rushed to Kothapalli on Thursday around 5.30 pm, and shifted the two to Naidupeta CHC around 6.30 pm.