India: 74-year-old ‘Dead’ man kept in a freezer box found alive by relatives

A 74-year-old man, Balasubramania Kumar, from Salem in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, was presumed dead and placed inside a freezer box by his brother Saravanan.

Kumar was rescued by the police and rushed to the hospital for further treatment on Monday, reportedly.

According to the Indian media outlets, Kumar is a resident of Kandhampatti in Salem district, and he was living with his younger brother Saravanan. On October 12, Saravanan had called the company, that provides freezer boxes, to deliver one to his home after he assumed that his brother had died.

After getting the freezer box, Saravanan and his family members had kept Kumar inside the box and announced that he had passed away. Kumar was placed in the box overnight.

Subsequently, the next day when the staff of the company, which provided the freezer box, had come to take back the box, saw that Kumar was still alive and breathing.

They alerted the neighbours and officials that Kumar is still alive, who then alerted the police. He was taken to the Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College Hospital in Salem.

Hi brother tried defending his actions by saying that, in fact, Kumar had already died and the body was moving because of seizures.

Police later revealed that Kumar’s family had been waiting for him to die.

Officials have booked a case against Saravanan and his family under the section 287 (negligent conduct to endanger human life), and section 336 (endangering the life or personal safety of others) of the Indian Penal Code.