In a shocking incident that unfolded in Andhra Pradesh's Kurnool district, an elderly woman took the unprecedented step of cremating her deceased husband's body at their residence. The incident occurred in the Terubazar area of Pattikonda town on Monday, May 29, around 10 am, as confirmed by the local police.

According to Murali Mohan, the Circle Inspector (CI) of Pathikonda, Lalita (58) had been the sole caregiver for her husband, Harikrishna Prasad (65), who had been paralyzed since 2016. Prior to his illness, Harikrishna used to operate a medical shop, which served as their source of income. However, after his severe ailment, the couple faced financial challenges.

The police report indicated that the couple had two sons, with the elder son employed at a private hospital in Kurnool and the younger son settled in Canada. The elder son would occasionally visit the family. However, Lalita did not inform any relatives when her husband passed away in the early hours of Monday morning. She made the decision to perform his last rites at home, as she believed she would not receive any assistance for the cremation.

“Harikrishna has not been keeping well and died early this morning. Lalitha did not inform any relative about his death and decided to cremate him at home as she believed she wouldn't get any assistance in performing last rites,” the CI said. “She used old clothes, books to cremate. She even informed her son by video calling,” he added. 

Lalita utilized old clothes and books for the cremation process. She even informed her son about the incident through a video call, as relayed by the CI. In the morning, concerned neighbors noticed smoke emanating from the house and promptly alerted the police. Upon arrival, Lalita revealed that she had conducted the final rites of her husband within the confines of their home.

Murali Mohan stated, "When we reached the house, we were informed that Lalitha tried to kill herself, but she was stopped by the neighbors." However, the police refuted reports suggesting that Lalita's decision to cremate her husband at home stemmed from her apprehension that informing her sons would lead to property disputes.

The police have registered a case and initiated further investigation into the incident.