Chennai: A police constable from Chengalpet has been quietly carrying out an act of compassion, ensuring dignity in death for those abandoned in life. For more than three years, P Karthik, a constable posted at Chengalpet town police station, has personally overseen the cremation of more than 70 unidentified or unclaimed bodies.
What began as a single, unsettling encounter sparked a deeply personal mission. The first body he handled was that of an elderly woman found outside a church. Karthik recognised her as someone who survived by begging in the area. Determined to not let her story end in anonymity, he took her body to the mortuary and spent nearly three months trying to trace her relatives. When all efforts failed and the body began to decompose, he performed her last rites himself.
"That moment stayed with me," Karthik recalls. Most of these bodies are recovered from bus stands, railway tracks, and even accident sites. He has taken it upon himself to track down families of the deceased, collecting clues once he signs off for the day. He circulates photographs across police stations and checks records of missing persons. When no one comes forward, Karthik steps in as a family member would. He ensures that the bodies are garlanded and conducts the last rites respectfully, with proper rituals in place.
"I see them as my own. Everyone deserves a respectful farewell," he said.
