A 74-year-old man in India was rescued after he was put in a freezer by his family, who mistakenly assumed he was dead.
According to The Independent, Balasubramanyam Kumar was critically ill and bed-ridden in his village of Kandhampatti in Tamil Nadu state when his family noticed that he stopped moving on Monday afternoon. Mistakenly assuming that he had died, Kumar’s family ordered a freezer box to be delivered so that his body could be preserved for the performance of the last rites.
However, when an employee from the freezer box company arrived the next day, he noticed that the presumed “corpse” was still showing signs of movement.
In a video report filmed by a Tamil news company, a man’s voice can be heard saying that his brother is dead, even while Kumar’s hand is shown to be visibly shaking. The person holding the camera asks: “His hands are trembling, how?” Kumar’s borther, Saravanan, responds: “Oh, it’s fits [seizures].” “How can that be possible if he’s dead?” the person asks, with Saravanan answering: “His soul has not left him yet.”
The family of Kumar checked on his body, and realised that he was still breathing. He was immediately rushed to the local hospital in Salem City. Local media reported that Kumar had been kept inside the freezer for 20 hours.
Although Kumar was said to have undergone treatment, Kumar has since died of lung-related problems after being admitted to the hospital in a drowsy condition, BBC news reported.
This may seem like a plot straight out of a low-rate movie, or a modern miracle akin to Jesus’ resurrection, but it is a strictly legal matter. Sooramangalam Police confirmed to The Independent that they were called by the freezer box company to Kumar’s residence on October 13. Sub-inspector Rajasekaran said that a case has been opened by the freezer box company against the family members who unwittingly declared Kumar dead without a proper medical check.
The case was filed under Sections 287 negligent conduct to endanger human life) and 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Indian Penal Code.
For more about mistakenly presumed deaths, click here to read about the woman who was found alive in a funeral home after being declared legally dead.
