‘Send Us The Video’: Father Dies In Old Age Home, Daughters Skip Funeral And Send Money Online

A deeply emotional incident from Haryana’s Sonipat has sparked widespread discussion on family relationships after the staff of a care home performed the last rites of an elderly man whose three daughters did not attend his funeral and instead watched the cremation through a video call.

Shivcharan Ratan Gupta, a former textile merchant who had been living at a care home in Sonipat, died without any family member by his side. According to the care home management, despite repeated requests, none of his daughters travelled to see him during his illness or after his death.

Once a successful businessman, spent final years in care home

Gupta, who was once a prosperous cloth merchant in Maharashtra, moved to the Sonipat care home around 18 months ago along with his wife, Meena Gupta. After her death, he continued living there alone.

The elderly man had three daughters and no sons. According to the care home, he had spent his life’s savings on their education and careers. Two of his daughters later became government schoolteachers. His eldest daughter, Anita, lives in Nepal, the second daughter, Nisha, resides in Uttar Pradesh’s Azamgarh, while the youngest, Priya, lives in Mumbai.

Family allegedly did not visit despite repeated requests

Anand, the manager of the care home, reportedly said Gupta stayed in touch with his daughters through his mobile phone. However, as his health deteriorated, their calls became less frequent.

According to Anand, the care home informed all three daughters when Gupta’s condition worsened and requested them to visit him. He claimed that each cited personal reasons and said they were unable to travel.

After Gupta’s death, the care home also offered to preserve his body to give the family time to arrive, but the daughters allegedly declined to come.

Care home staff perform last rites

The eldest daughter reportedly transferred ₹5,100 online to cover the cremation expenses. The family initially asked the care home to preserve Gupta’s ashes but later requested the staff to immerse them in the River Ganges on their behalf, citing time constraints.

The daughters watched the cremation through a video call and also requested a recording of the funeral proceedings. A video that has since gone viral purportedly captures one of the daughters asking whether all the rituals had been completed properly and requesting the staff to send her the video.

Incident sparks emotional reactions

The episode has left the care home’s staff and local residents saddened.

Caregivers who looked after Gupta during his final days said the incident serves as a reminder that alongside education and professional success, compassion, empathy and strong family bonds remain equally important.