Tired of sufferings of fellow Indians, Andhra man plans self-burial
Andhra Pradesh police had a tough time dealing with a septuagenarian who was determined to bury himself alive since the country has "suffered from so much crime and public apathy". For this he made himself a grave and had chosen July 25 as the "sacrifice" day, since it was "auspicious". Luckily, the district administration intimated the police in time and the man was saved.
Five-foot deep, cement and stone blocks for cover, iron lid
70-year-old Tathireddy Lachi Reddy, who owns 10acres of land in Gannavaram village, had dug for himself a five-foot pit in his field and had cemented it from inside. He had thought to cover the grave with cement and stone blocks, after entering. An iron sheet was to serve as a lid. His family members claimed they prodded him to think against it, but failed.
Learning suicide is a crime, he had written to authorities
When locals told him committing suicide is itself a crime, Reddy wrote to the Guntur district collector, under whom his village comes, notifying the self-burial plan. The collector's office asked the Macherla rural police officers to rush to Reddy's house and counsel him. A team led by inspector Dileep Kumar and sub-inspector Lokeshwar Rao went to his house and talked to him.
Inspiration: Hindu sage and oracle Potuluri Veera Brahmendra Swamy
During counseling, Reddy expressed displeasure with the current situation in the country, saying that he has been inspired by writings of Potuluri Veera Brahmendra Swamy, a ninth-century Hindu sage and oracle. He also told that after his wife's demise, nothing is left for him on this earth, as his sons and grandsons are all settled. He has also prepared his will.
'Father turned spiritual a decade ago, had shunned worldly life'
His second son, Ramakrishna Reddy, said his father turned spiritual ten years ago and had shunned worldly life. Rao echoed that, saying that's why Reddy didn't live with his family. "He left his family and took to staying alone in a small room constructed on his land. His family members however provided him food and water every day," the sub-inspector said.
