Kendrapara: Family members of a couple at Madhyakhandi village under Kendrapara police station, who had died Thursday at Bandipora in Srinagar, urged the district collector and local MLA to help them bring back the bodies of their kin from Jammu and Kashmir.
The district administration is reported to have made efforts to bring the bodies, stated district collector Muralidhar Mallik.
Mallik said 13 people including four from Kendrapara went to Bandipora-based Al Noor B Ed College January 17 to appear for B Ed examination. Nibedita Mishra, who worked in Aul-based Saraswati Vidya Mandir, went with her husband Shyama Madhab Mishra, to appear for the test. Sagarika Rath and her husband Narayan Pujhari of Niala village under Aul police limit also went to the said college for the test. They hired a room at a lodge in Bandipora.
It was snowing with the night temperature touching minus 2/3 degree. The couple slept in a room with a heater. At about 1 am Friday, police received information that a couple died whereas another couple was serious.
Bandipora police later rushed to the spot and seized the bodies of Nibedita Mishra and Shyama Madhab Mishra from the room and rescued Sagarika Rath and Narayan Pujhari in critical condition.
While Sagarika and her husband were rushed to Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Science (SKIMS) in Srinagar for treatment, the bodies were sent for autopsy to Bandipora district headquarters hospital, Parvez Khan, deputy superintendent of police, said.
Sources said the condition of Sagarika and Narayan is said to be critical and they are undergoing treatment at SKIMS.
The bodies of Nibedita and her husband have been kept at a mortuary in Srinagar. The autopsy report was received Saturday. As per the autopsy report, the cause of death was due to suffocation, stated Khan.
“I got information about the death of my younger brother and sister-in-law Friday afternoon from the SP of Kendrapara, who received the information from Bandipora police,” said Durga Madhab Mishra, elder brother of Shyama Madhab.
“As we cannot arrange such a big amount to bring back the bodies, we have urged the district collector and the Chief Minister to take steps for bringing the bodies of my brother and his wife,” said Durgamadhab.
Local councillor Kaliprasad Mishra said he has written a letter to local MLA to help the poverty-stricken family bring the bodies here.
When contacted, district collector said he has written to the administration of Bandipora for sending the bodies of the couple to Bhubanswar. He said he expects the bodies to reach Kendrapara Sunday. PNN
