In a bizarre case, a top Madhya Pradesh Police officer on Wednesday claimed that his 84-year-old father, who was declared dead on January 14 by a private hospital in Bhopal, was responding to ayurvedic treatment.

Additional director general of police (ADG-selection) Rajendra Kumar Mishra’s father died of complications in the lungs a month ago. The matter came to light when Mishra’s staff members reported sick as the claimed the body was highly decomposed.

The police said that they were not sure how to respond to this situation as there was no complaint.

On being asked Mishra , who is on leave, said: “This is a private matter. I don’t know what the people at Bansal (the hospital where he was being treated) said, but when they gave up, we brought him home and he is being treated by an ayurvedic doctor.” However, when asked if anyone can see his father, the officer refused.

Dr D K Satpathy, former head of the state forensic department said: “I have inspected the body. According to medical science, he was not alive. It is a matter of faith for Mishra family members who believe that senior Mishra was in samadhi. When I inspected the body, it had not decomposed, and I can’t comment on the state of the body at present.”

Satpathy has gone to Mishra’s residence after the officer called him but can’t remember the date.

The hospital where he was admitted said it had issued a death certificate after the senior citizen passed away.

“K M Mishra was admitted to the hospital on January 13 and he died at 4 pm on January 14. He had problems in his lungs when he was brought in and died during treatment. He was being treated by Dr Ashwini. We have issued a death certificate, and given one copy to the family and one copy to the Bhopal Municipal Corporation. If police come into the picture we will also show to the cops the death certificate,” said Bansal Hospital spokesperson Lokesh Jha.

Some of the staff members working at Mishra’s residence, said they fell sick due to the stench from the body and took leave.

They also said tantriks had been called by family members to resurrect the body, adding that there was pressure from the family members to keep the body, hoping for a miracle. However, Mishra denied that they had roped in any sorcerer or tantric.

Sources in the police headquarters said that soon after Mishra’s father’s death, a message was circulated in a Whatsapp group of senior officials which said that ADG Mishra’s father had died and the cremation would take place shortly. However, the message was later withdrawn.

The state director general of police (DGP) V K Singh said “I am aware of the situation and has taken cognizance of it. This is a situation without precedent. I have not personally spoken to ADG Mishra about it but some senior officer will talk to him.”

First Published: Feb 13, 2019 23:40 IST