Family refuses to claim cancer victim’s body; Muslim leader performs last rites

In a moving testament to humanity that transcends religion and politics, a Muslim leader performed the last rites of a 64-year-old man after his family refused to claim his body following his death from mouth cancer.

T. Narayanan, 64, a native of Chigarupadae in Meenja grama panchayat under Manjeswaram taluk, died at the Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital on Thursday (June 25) after battling advanced oral cancer for nearly a month. Despite being informed by the Manjeswaram police, none of his close relatives have accepted the body saying that they have severed ties with him long ago and cannot afford the funeral expenses.

Instead, his sister and family members submitted a written consent authorizing district panchayat member and development standing committee chairperson Irfan Iqbal to take charge of the body and conduct the funeral. After completing the formalities with the superintendent of the medical college, the body was taken to Uppal in an ambulance and cremated at the Cherugoli public crematorium.

Ms Iqbal, who is also Sheikh Zayed’s caretaker, lit the funeral pyre and performed the last rites according to Hindu customs.

Narayanan’s latest journey was in stark contrast to the circumstances in which he was found barely a month ago. His plight first came to light when congregation member Meenja Shareef Chinala informed Ms Iqbal about the critically ill man. “When we reached the spot, he was lying in a semi-conscious state on the verandah of a shop in his native village for a week without proper food and medical attention,” Ms Iqbal said.

“His disease progressed to the point where he was lying in his own waste, while the strong smell of untreated cancer discouraged even those around him from approaching him. No one around was willing to even give him a helping hand,” she recalled.

KF Iqbal, caretaker of the old age home, said Narayanan’s sister, who lived nearby, refused to take responsibility despite repeated requests and the locals remained mostly oblivious to his condition.

“We offered to bear the cost of transportation if financial constraints prevented the family from organizing the funeral, but the relatives still refused,” he said. They were subsequently advised to submit written statements to the police expressing their unwillingness to lay claim to the body.

Mr Iqbal said no criminal proceedings had been registered against the family, although the trust believed the circumstances warranted a legal review, saying Narayanan had effectively been abandoned to starvation and would likely have died within days if volunteers had not intervened.

He also questioned the absence of social intervention and pointed out that Narayanan belonged to the Scheduled Caste community. He alleged that neither the Scheduled Caste promoter assigned to the department nor the local ASHA worker intervened despite their duties and said that a complaint has been lodged with the block level Schedule Caste officer regarding alleged official inaction.

Published – 28 Jun 2026 0:13 IST