Man’s body burnt in Erode forest over ambulance cost

Body Cremated in Erode District Forest

A group could not afford to transport a man’s body by ambulance to Madhya Pradesh. They allegedly cremated the body in a forest area of Erode district on Saturday, January 10, 2026.

On Saturday night, the Bargur police and officials from the Chennampatti Forest Range received a report about a burnt body found in the forest. This area is between the Karaikadu-Palar check post on the road to the Male Mahadeshwara Hills in Karnataka. Police and forest teams arrived and discovered that the body had been burned only a few hours earlier.

Investigators found that a group from North India, who were on a pilgrimage tour by bus, had allegedly cremated the body at the location and then left. The police used CCTV footage from nearby surveillance cameras to track the group to Karnataka.

On Sunday, January 11, the police located the bus at the Sri Chamundeshwari Temple in Mysuru and questioned the occupants. They learned that the group was from Madhya Pradesh. While visiting a temple in Madurai, a 70-year-old man named Mool Chand Pal fell ill. His wife, Sakothrapal, 65, suggested taking him to a hospital, but he refused. The man later died while the group was traveling toward Mysuru.

The group was reportedly asked to pay ₹40,000 to transport the body in an ambulance. Unable to arrange the funds, they carried the body in the bus. While passing through the Erode forest area, they decided to cremate the body there.

The police stated that the deceased’s family members returned to their home and informed authorities they would appear before the Bargur police after completing the final rites. Further inquiry is ongoing.

Summary of Events