Epitomising the eternal bond between a sister and brother, a young woman tied rakhi to her dead brother at the mortuary in the Government Area Hospital in Sattupalli on Monday virtually immortalising the priceless sibling relationship that transcended the latter’s death.
Tragedy struck the family of K. Giribabu, a goldsmith of Tiruvuru in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, when his 22-year-old son K. Vinod, a polytechnic diploma holder, drowned after the car in which he was travelling along with his friend Himakiran plunged into Bethupalli tank near Sattupalli town on Sunday evening. His body was retrieved from the tank on Monday after a long search that lasted for more than 12 hours. Vinod met with a tragic end during his visit to Sattupalli to celebrate the Friendship Day in the company of some of his former classmates. Though both Himakiran and Vinod managed to come out of the car and stay afloat on the top of the partially submerged vehicle for sometime, Himakiran could reach the shore safely with the help of the local residents, while Vinod accidentally slipped into the swirling waters even as local youth tried to rescue him, police sources said.
The government area hospital in Sattupalli witnessed heart-rending scenes on Monday when Sirisha, the elder sister of Vinod, wept continuously unable to cope with the tragic end of her brother on Rakshabandhan Day. A sobbing Sirisha tied a rakhi to the wrist of her dead brother’s body on the premises of the hospital even as the onlookers were moved to tears by the poignant scene.
“Whom should I tie rakhi next year and how can we live without you,” she said, weeping inconsolably.
Some grieving relatives of the deceased who rushed to Sattupalli from Tiruvuru expressed apprehensions over the way Vinod drowned after reportedly climbing onto the top of the vehicle before being swept away by swirling waters of the tank.
“A case under Section 304 (A) of the IPC (causing death due to rash and negligent driving) has been registered against Himakiran.,” Sattupalli circle inspector of police Rajendra Prasad told The Hindu, when contacted.