Patna: Farmer's Body Preserved in Freezer for Three Days to Fulfill Land Transfer Agreement
In a startling incident from Malahi village of Sitamarhi district, traditional mourning rituals were suspended and grief was temporarily set aside as the body of a farmer who died from electrocution was stored in a freezer for three full days. This unusual measure was not taken for forensic examination purposes, but rather to ensure the completion of a land transfer agreement that had been brokered by the village panchayat.
Tragic Electrocution During Farming Activities
The farmer, identified as Naeem Ansari, aged 55, met with a fatal accident on January 20 while he was irrigating his wheat crop in a field located under the jurisdiction of the Sursand police station area. According to police reports, Ansari came into direct contact with exposed electric wires that had been installed in an adjacent 4.5-acre agricultural plot. These wires were reportedly set up to protect crops from stray cattle, and the field in question belonged to another villager named Ratnesh Singh, who resides in the same community.
Panchayat Intervention and Unusual Settlement Terms
Following this tragic incident, a village panchayat meeting was promptly convened to address the matter and seek a resolution. During this gathering, the panchayat members reached a decision that the owner of the neighboring field, Ratnesh Singh, would transfer four kattha of land to the bereaved family of Naeem Ansari as a form of compensation for the loss. Both parties involved in the dispute agreed to this settlement, but they attached a specific condition to the agreement.
The body of the deceased farmer would not be cremated until the land transfer was formally registered with the appropriate authorities. To facilitate this unusual arrangement, a freezer was brought from Sursand to the village, and Ansari's body was carefully preserved inside it while the necessary paperwork was processed and finalized.
Police Involvement and Registration Process
Local police officials stated that they arrived at the village after receiving information about the electrocution incident. However, no written complaint was submitted by any party regarding the death. SHO Lal Kishore Gupta of Sursand police station explained the situation further, noting that while police took custody of the body initially, the family members declined to conduct a post-mortem examination. They cited the mutual agreement that had been reached between both sides as their reason for this refusal.
With no formal application or complaint filed, the police ultimately returned without taking further action. Meanwhile, the land registration process moved forward, and on January 22, the transfer was officially completed at the Parihar registration office, with the land being registered in the names of the deceased farmer's family members.
Final Rites Performed After Documentation
As soon as the land transfer documents were handed over to the family, the body of Naeem Ansari was removed from the freezer, and his last rites were finally performed. This entire episode highlights how traditional village governance mechanisms sometimes intersect with modern legal and administrative processes in rural India, creating unique and often complex resolutions to local disputes.
The incident underscores the lengths to which communities may go to secure tangible compensation for tragic losses, even if it means delaying mourning rituals and employing unconventional preservation methods to ensure contractual fulfillment.
