Sonipat News: Three Daughters Attend Father's Final Rites On Video Call After His Death At An Old-Age Home

For nearly one and a half years, Shivcharan Ram Ratan Gupta, a former textile trader from Mumbai, had been living at an old-age home run by the Samaj Kalyan Shiksha Samiti in West Ram Nagar, Sonipat. His story has sparked widespread discussion on social media and in the news following an emotional and tragic incident.

After battling a prolonged illness, Gupta passed away at around 3:30 am on Tuesday. Following his death, the management of the old-age home contacted his three daughters. None of his three daughters could attend the funeral of their father. Instead, his daughters attended his last rites through a video call from Mumbai, Uttar Pradesh, and Nepal.

Daughters Attend Funeral Via Video Call

Members of the local community and the old-age home management performed the cremation. According to Anand Kumar, an administrator at the assisted living facility, Gupta regularly spoke to his daughters over the phone. However, after he fell ill, the conversations gradually stopped.

"They were informed about their father's deteriorating health nearly 20 days before his death, but they did not come to meet him," Kumar said.

Travel Refusal After Father's Death

After Gupta's death, the management again contacted the daughters and informed them that arrangements could be made if they wished to travel to Sonipat. However, according to Kumar, they said they did not have the time to make the journey.

The daughters later joined the cremation through a video call and witnessed their father's final rites from a distance. Anita, a teacher living in Nepal, also transferred Rs 5,100 online and requested that her father's last rites be performed properly.

The daughters also asked the old-age home to send them videos of the funeral after the cremation. In one of the phone conversations, a daughter can reportedly be heard asking, 

"How long will this take? We need to take a bath and eat."

Father Fulfilled Every Responsibility

Gupta had devoted his life to the upbringing and education of his three daughters. According to the old-age home management, he ensured that all three received a good education and often expressed pride in their achievements. Two of his daughters later became teachers.

His youngest daughter, Priya, lives in Mumbai, while his eldest daughter, Anita, lives in Nepal. His third daughter, Nisha, lives in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh. All three are married and have families of their own.

Initially, the daughters requested that Gupta's ashes be preserved. Later, they informed the old-age home that they would not be able to travel to Sonipat and requested that the ashes be immersed in the Ganga instead.