Kin of MP man who had converted from Hinduism to Islam fight over funerary rituals

Indore, September 20

The kin of a dead man who was born a Hindu but had converted to Islam argued over his funerary rituals at a morgue in Indore in Madhya Pradesh on Monday, with police having to intervene to help them reach an agreement, officials said.

The 48-year-old man, whose name was Salim Khan as per his Aadhaar Card and Voter ID, was born Prakash Malviya in a Hindu household in Dewas but had converted to Islam some years ago, said Sub Inspector Mahesh Shrivastava.

“While the man’s mother Soram Bai wanted him to be cremated as per Vedic rituals, his daughter Rani Sheikh wanted him to be buried under Islamic customs. Police had to reach the morgue at Maharaja Yeshwantrao Hospital (MYH) to sort out the matter,” said an eyewitness.

“We settled the argument by getting his body to his paternal home for Hindu rituals and then burial as per Islamic customs. Khan, a dumper driver by profession, died in a hospital in Tejaji Nagar here on Sunday night. His post-mortem report is awaited,” Shrivastava added. —PTI