Haryana: Man's last rites on video call as daughters fail to show up

A 72-year-old resident of a Sonipat old age home was cremated by staff as his daughters couldn't attend. The family witnessed the last rites via a video call. The man, a former merchant, had chosen to live in the home despite his daughters' offers.

A 72-year-old resident of an old age home in Haryana's Sonipat was cremated by the management and local social workers after his daughters were unable to attend the funeral, with the last rites being witnessed by family members through a video call, according to the old age home authorities.

Background of Shiv Charan Gupta

Speaking to ANI, Anand Kumar, manager of Samaj Kalyan Shiksha Samiti Old Age Home in Sonipat, said the deceased, Shiv Charan Gupta, was a cloth merchant from Mumbai. He said Gupta had shifted to Haryana with his wife after suffering business losses.

According to Kumar, Gupta had three married daughters, one living in Mumbai, another in Nepal, and the third in Uttar Pradesh's Azamgarh.

Kumar said the daughters had asked their father to stay with them, but Gupta chose to live in an old age home instead. "He believed he should not live at his daughters' homes," Kumar said.

Life at the Old Age Home and Final Days

According to the old age home management, Gupta's wife, Meena Gupta, passed away around two years ago while staying at another old age home in Sonipat. Following her death, Gupta moved to the Samaj Kalyan Shiksha Samiti Old Age Home on March 13, 2026.

Kumar said Gupta led a simple routine at the home, spending time with fellow residents, playing cards, listening to devotional music and regularly speaking with his daughters over the phone. He further said Gupta developed severe stomach pain around 15 days before his death and was taken to the district hospital for treatment before being brought back to the old age home. On August 2, he again complained of stomach discomfort, ate a light meal and went to sleep. According to Kumar, Gupta's condition deteriorated during the night, and he died at around 3:30 am on August 3.

Last Rites and Eye Donation

Kumar said Gupta had expressed a wish to donate his body and eyes. After discussions with his daughters, the family consented to eye donation, following which the last rites were performed. He added that the eye donation procedure was completed with the assistance of a Delhi-based eye hospital.

According to Kumar, after being informed of Gupta's death, the daughters expressed their inability to travel to Sonipat for the funeral. He said one of the daughters transferred Rs 5,100 online towards the funeral expenses and requested that the last rites be shown through a video call. Kumar said the old age home later returned the amount to the family after the cremation.

A Reminder for Society

Residents of the old age home described Gupta as a friendly and soft-spoken person who enjoyed devotional songs and often spoke about his daughters. They appealed to people to take care of their elderly parents and not leave them alone in old age.

Kumar said the incident should serve as a reminder for society to care for and support elderly parents. (ANI)

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