Tragic Betrayal: Elderly Woman’s Final Rites Ignored by Her Own Family

NEWS CHARIOT (Jagtyala, Dec.27) : In a shocking turn of event, a family that had previously received immense support from an elderly person and aged woman of the household in times of crisis, refused to honour the same person during her final moments. With no one coming forward to conduct the last rites, the local community had to step in, to perform the final rituals. The scene mirrored a tragic Telugu movie moment ‘Aa Naluguru’ here in Jagtyala district.

One Sadula Sattavva (85) resident of Theen Khani of Jagtial town was living alone after the death of her husband Lakshman 20 years ago. Since she had no children of her own, Sattavva considered the sons of her husbands’ elder brother (who also expired long before) Sadula Ravi and Sadula Prasad as her own children. She even divided her property between them including her house and valuable land in the town. Both Ravi and Prasad have been taking care of her on a rotational basis every month taking turns.

Sattavva who fell ill a few days back took her last breath undergoing treatment in the government hospital on Wednesday. After her death, her body was brought home in an ambulance, but the house was locked and it remained outside in the ambulance for more than six hours. Despite the family members inheriting the property of the aged woman, they failed to show up for the funeral, The dead body of Sattavva was not even allowed to be brought inside the house.

When locals questioned her two adopted sons the reason why they are not allowing her body inside the house and the reason for not showing up for her funeral, they said since there was a wedding in their family within a month, they cannot allow her body inside their house and are least bothered to conduct her funeral. This behaviour of both Ravi and Prasad shocked the local community who expressed anger at them and passed the information to the police.

The locals alleged that though Sattavva was not the biological mother, she considered both of them her own children and treated them as family. But her own children’s refusal to carry out her funeral left everybody in shock and dismay and demanded the police to take action against them.

The Jagtial town Circle inspector S.Venu speaking to Deccan Chronicle said that upon reaching the spot, the woman SI Geetha Reddy tried to give counselling to both Ravi and Prasad, when they did not show any remorse, the SI warned them she would recommend the concerned authorities to take necessary action to seize Sattavva’s assets.

When Ravi and Prasad and her family members did not show up, then the locals took initiative and conducted the final rites to Sattava’s dead body by themselves expressing their disappointment for the irresponsible behaviour of her family members.

However, the police had taken the case on Suo motto basis and registered the case against both the brothers Ravi and Prasad, he added.