Indore: Man Raised 4 Children Alone, None Came When He Died at Old-Age Home
A 70-year-old Indore man, Ghanshyam, died at a Bhopal old-age home after spending four years there. The home said his four children did not come to claim his body despite repeated attempts to contact them. With no family member arriving, the management performed his last rites with police assistance. The family later sought his death certificate.
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Ghanshyam, a 70-year-old man from Indore, died on August 4 after spending the last four years of his life at Apna Ghar, an old-age home in Bhopal. His family was informed of his death, but after waiting for two days, the home said none of his four children came to claim his body, leaving authorities and the home's management to arrange his last rites.
Ghanshyam had run a small bicycle tyre-and-tube business and owned a modest house in Indore. His wife died when their four children, two sons and two daughters, were young. According to Apna Ghar manager Madhuri Mishra, the family later sold the house and divided the money among the children, while Ghanshyam eventually came to the old-age home after being found at Bhopal's ISBT. Ashwini Joshi Dies: Former Congress MLA and 3-Time Indore Legislator Passes Away at 66 After Heart Attack.
Ghanshyam Spent Four Years at Old-Age Home
By the time Ghanshyam reached Apna Ghar, he was partially paralysed and had difficulty speaking and walking. "When Ghanshyam ji came to us, he was ill and could barely speak. He told us he had a small tyre-and-tube shop and a small house. Half of his body was paralysed," Mishra said.
He was not brought to the home by his children. According to Mishra, Ghanshyam had reached Bhopal's ISBT, where buses from Indore arrive. Some young social workers found him there and brought him to Apna Ghar.
For the next four years, the old-age home became his address. Mishra said the home repeatedly tried to contact his family whenever his health deteriorated. "Whenever he fell ill, we took him to hospital and tried to call them. They did not come. We continued looking after him," she said. RB Choudary, Jiiva’s Father and Veteran Producer, Dies in Car Accident in Jaipur; Chiranjeevi Mourns His Passing.
Family Was Contacted After His Death
Ghanshyam died on August 4. Apna Ghar informed his family and repeatedly tried to persuade them to come to Bhopal. According to the account provided by the home, the family gave various reasons for not travelling to Bhopal and eventually asked the management to cremate him and send them his death certificate.
Mishra said the home had earlier contacted an emergency number provided by Ghanshyam. "We called the number and were told, 'I don't know him. I have abandoned him. I have nothing to do with him.' We were also told that the money from their father's house had been divided among the brothers and sisters and that they no longer had any relationship with their father," Mishra told NDTV.
Property Dispute Emerges
According to Mishra, Ghanshyam's small house in Indore was sold and the proceeds were distributed among his children. She said one of Ghanshyam's daughters was upset about how the property had been divided.
"The daughter said her father had given his property to the sons. She said, 'I got nothing, so why should I come?' The sons said, 'What did he ever do for us?'" he told NDTV. Mishra also reflected on Ghanshyam's circumstances and the changing responsibilities within families.
"His youngest daughter was around two when his wife died. There was a time when one father could raise four or five children. Today, four children together could not look after one father," she said.
Old-Age Home Arranges Last Rites
The old-age home did not have facilities to preserve Ghanshyam's body indefinitely. Despite this, its management waited in the hope that a family member would arrive.
"Even after his death, we tried several times. We tried the address in Panchvati, Indore, but could not find anyone there. We waited, but nobody came. Finally, with the help of the police, we performed his last rites," she said.
Ghanshyam was ultimately cremated with the help of police after no family member came forward to claim his body.
Family Now Wants Death Certificate
Although Ghanshyam's funeral has been completed, the dispute between the family and the old-age home has continued.
The family now wants his death certificate.
Mishra said she would not hand over the document to them, citing the family's alleged absence during Ghanshyam's illness and after his death.
"I will absolutely not give Ghanshyam ji's death certificate to his family. People abuse us and ask who we are to decide this. But we had a bond with him. If they did not come to see him when he was alive, and did not come when he died, why should we now give them his death certificate?" Mishra said.
The case has since drawn attention to the circumstances of elderly people who become dependent on care institutions after losing contact with their families, as well as the disputes that can emerge over property and documents after their death.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 10, 2026 07:49 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
