A 55-year-old mentally unstable man having suicidal tendencies died after he jumped into a burning pyre. The incident took place on Wednesday afternoon when the pyre of Mukund Pardeshi was burning at the Dhankawadi-based crematorium ground around 2 pm.
The deceased was identified as Kerba Govind Chavan, a resident of Dhankawadi Gaothan area, and was not related to Pardeshi. Chavan used to come to the crematorium ground and often ask the staff working there to put him in the electric crematorium unit. On Wednesday too, Chavan came to the gates and tried to get in when Pardesh’i’s last rites were being performed but was shooed away as usual.
But as soon as the guard went to answer nature’s call, Chavan sneaked in from the rear gate and jumped into the burning pyre. Pardeshi’s relatives had left after he was cremated and the pyre was still burning. Usually, the family of the deceased comes the next day to collect ashes of the remains.
After some time, the security guard went for the break and the relatives of Pardeshi too left the place.
“As he entered the pyre, one of our guards saw him and started yelling for help. I also came but we could do nothing and just watched him burn and die,” said Kiran Londhe, one of the workers at the crematorium.
“We couldn’t pour water to douse the pyre and tried to push him out using bamboos. We even called the fire brigade, but it was too late,” said Londhe.
A relative of Chavan, Bapu Gogawale said that Chavan used to work in the Pune Cantonment Board’s water supply department, and added that his mental condition was not stable.
“The family was supposed to take him to the hospital on Wednesday. However, he ended his life before that,” he said.
Chavan had apparently tried to commit suicide by jumping into a canal near Swargate a few months ago. But onlookers had managed to pull him out in time then.
Police inspector Kamalakar Takwale of Sahakarnagar police station said that they have registered a case of accidental death and suspect no foul play in the incident.
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