Muslim woman performs last rites of abandoned Hindu man in Uppala

Mangalore Today News Network

Uppala, Jun 27, 2026: In a remarkable act of compassion that transcended religious boundaries, a Muslim woman performed the last rites of an abandoned Hindu man after no family member came forward to claim his body following his death from oral cancer.

The deceased, identified as Narayana, a resident of Chigurupade in the Meenja Panchayat limits, passed away at Kozhikode Medical College Hospital after battling advanced-stage oral cancer. With no relatives arriving to claim his body, Zilla Panchayat member and social worker Irfana took responsibility for ensuring he received a dignified farewell.

According to reports, local resident Sharif Chinal informed Irfana, who manages the Sheikh Sayyid Old Age Home, that Narayana had been living in a vacant shed in a severely weakened condition without food or proper care.

After visiting the location, Irfana found him in critical condition. She obtained permission from the District Collector and arranged for his admission to Kozhikode Medical College Hospital.

Before he was shifted to the hospital, volunteers from the Sheikh Sayyid Foundation bathed Narayana and provided him with first aid. Medical examinations later confirmed that he was suffering from advanced oral cancer. Despite undergoing treatment for nearly a month, he succumbed to the illness on Thursday.

Following his death, no legal heir came forward to claim the body. After obtaining consent from Narayana’s sister through the Manjeshwar Police Station, Irfana received the body and brought it to Uppala.

She later conducted the final rites at the Hindu cremation ground in Cherugoli, symbolically taking on the role of a daughter and lighting the funeral pyre in accordance with Hindu customs.

Social workers Riyas Pilathara and Mohammed Kaikamba assisted in carrying out the funeral arrangements.

According to local sources, Narayana was married but had been living separately from his wife and family.

Irfana, who runs the Sheikh Sayyid Old Age Home, has previously helped perform the last rites of other unclaimed Hindu individuals, reflecting her continued commitment to humanitarian service and ensuring that the deceased receive a dignified farewell regardless of religion or background.