Thane: A shocking incident has surfaced outside Kalyan's Rukminibai Hospital, where a labourer’s body was left in the morgue for three hours due to a dispute between private ambulance drivers. The situation unfolded when one driver tried to offer a lower fare and was stopped by another, sparking outrage and raising questions about the KDMC administration’s role. Locals expressed deep concern, saying the incident reflected a complete loss of humanity.
The deceased, Kariya Bichappa, a labourer from Telangana, died after falling from a building in Kalyan. His body was sent for postmortem at Rukminibai Hospital, according to the ABP Majha report.
Kariya was the pillar of his financially struggling family and had three daughters. Following his death, relatives and friends decided to collect funds to take his body back to his village in Telangana.
When the family approached private ambulance driver Roshan Sheikh, he demanded Rs 25,000 for the 700 km journey. The family pleaded for a lower fare, but he refused. Another driver, Sameer Memon, agreed to transport the body for Rs 15,000, and the family accepted his offer. However, Sheikh intervened and prevented Memon from proceeding, leading to an argument that lasted over three hours. During this time, the body remained in the morgue.
According to the ABP Majha, the driver Sameer Memon stated, "I agreed to pay a low rate after seeing the condition of the poor, but when there is no union here, the other driver is acting in the name of 'union'." Meanwhile, Roshan Sheikh maintained, “The fare of Rs 25,000 was reasonable for a distance of 700 km. We did not stop anyone.”
The incident has angered residents, who claim such exploitation outside the hospital is common. They also recalled a previous case where a woman died due to the unavailability of an ambulance for just Rs 1,000, questioning the inaction of KDMC's medical officers, as reported.
