A cremation ceremony stops midway due to lack of firewood

In an unfortunate incident, shortage of firewood on the funeral pyre led to stalling of the cremation of an Army jawan today in Sirohi district of Rajasthan.
Gunner Operator Ramesh Kumar Chaudhary had died at the military hospital in Srinagar on September 10. His body was brought to his ancestral village of Nagana in Sirohi where his family members conducted the cremation ceremony in the presence of his army unit and another unit from Mount Abu.
The funeral pyre was lit but after sometime, the process was nearly stalled due to shortage of firewood pieces and family members present had to scramble for additional pieces to place on the pyre.

There were unconfirmed reports that unburnt parts of the body were pulled out of the extinguished pyre and burnt separately.
State's Minister Otaram Devasi, who was also present at the funeral, said, "I did not see this till I was present there and I am not aware of what happened after I left."
The jawan's family said the funeral had to be stopped for sometime due to shortage of firewood but resumed after sometime.

Sirohi District Collector L N Meena is currently on leave, while ADM Prahlad Sahay Naga refused to comment on the matter.
"The Gunner Operator Ramesh Kumar Chaudhary died in the military hospital of Srinagar on September 10. The body was brought to New Delhi by an aircraft and from there it was brought to Sirohi by road. A unit also came from Mount Abu," District Soldier Welfare officer D S Bhati told PTI.

Sirohi's District Public Relations Officer Hemlata Sisodia said the jawan was given a guard of honour by the Army unit.
"A guard of honour was given at the time of funeral. MP Devji Patel and others were also present on the occasion," she said, adding the funeral was conducted in a normal manner.