Mumbai Family Keeps 80-Year-Old Mans Body Frozen for Four Years in Hope of Future Revival
India: A family in Mumbai has kept the body of an 80-year-old man frozen for nearly four years instead of performing his last rites, hoping that future advances in medicine and science could one day make it possible to revive him.
The elderly man died a natural death in 2022. Following his death, the family conducted online research and contacted organisations in the United States involved in cryonics, a process in which human remains are preserved at extremely low temperatures, typically using liquid nitrogen, after legal death.
The family reportedly hopes that future developments in medicine and biological sciences could eventually enable the preserved body to be brought back to life. More than Rs 5 million has so far been spent on preserving the body.
Police reached a local polyclinic after receiving information about the case and found the elderly man’s body inside a freezer. The clinic had reportedly remained closed for about a month.
The family produced all necessary documents relating to the man’s natural death. After examining the circumstances, authorities said they found no evidence of criminal activity or suspicious circumstances surrounding his death, and no case was registered.
According to police, the family is now considering whether to transport the body to the United States for cryonic preservation or proceed with traditional last rites.
Authorities and the family are also seeking legal advice regarding the legal aspects of the case and the procedures involved in preserving a human body for such an extended period.
