The ashes of a deceased woman were stolen from the Mehrun crematorium in Jalgaon, allegedly by thieves searching for gold. The woman’s family has made a heart-wrenching appeal to the culprits, urging them to return the ashes even if they keep the jewellery.
Rajendra Patil, a resident of Gayatri Nagar, cremated his mother, Chhababai Kashinath Patil, on Sunday. Before her death, Chhababai had expressed her wish that her jewellery be cremated with her. Respecting her last wish, the family performed her final rites along with her ornaments.
However, when the relatives went to the crematorium on Tuesday to collect her remains, they were shocked to find the bones missing from the urn — only ashes remained. “Stealing our mother’s bones is playing with our emotions. We are not grieving the loss of jewellery but plead that our mother’s remains be returned,” said Rajendra Patil, expressing anguish over the incident.
The family described the act as “a shame to humanity,” saying the thieves had desecrated not just their grief but the sanctity of the cremation site.
The Mehrun crematorium, which is under the jurisdiction of the Jalgaon Municipal Corporation, reportedly has no security guard, fencing, or surveillance system. Residents have strongly criticised the corporation’s negligence. Rajendra Patil has demanded the immediate appointment of security personnel to prevent such desecrations in future.
A complaint has been lodged at the local police station, and an investigation is underway.
