Prez confers Padma Shri on Ayodhya's Mohammad Shareef who performed last rites for over 25,000 unclaimed dead bodies
New Delhi/IBNS: The government has conferred India's fourth-highest civilian honour -- Padma Shri -- on Ayodhya's Mohammad Shareef, who has performed the last rites of more than 25,000 unclaimed dead bodies in the district over the last three decades.
Popularly known as Shareef Chacha, the 83-year-old took to social service in 1992 when his son Raees was murdered at the peak of the communal tensions during the demolition of the Babri Masjid.
Shareef's son was a chemist and became a victim of communal violence when he was on his way to Sultanpur for some work. His body was left near railway tracks where it remained unclaimed for four days and was devoured by stray animals.
The incident shook Shareeif to the core and he decided to give a proper funeral to the bodies that were not claimed by anyone.
He started going to police stations, mortuaries, and railway stations to find unclaimed dead bodies.
A cycle mechanic, Shareef, who had little means at his disposal cremated or buried the dead while performing their last rites, ensuring that the departed souls were given due respect.
The police in the Ayodhya district hand over dead bodies that remain unclaimed for over 72 hours for their last rites to Sharif.
Soon, stories of Shareef's noble acts spread far and wide. He was also invited as a guest to Amir Khan's popular television show Satyamva Jayate.
Shareef was conferred the Padma Shri in 2020 but the ceremony was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. He was welcomed to the Rashtrapati Bhawan this year where he was honoured with Padma Shri for his outstanding service to society.
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