Living in a Sonipat old-age home run by Samaj Kalyan Shiksha Samiti, elderly Shivcharan Gupta died alone after his wife’s earlier death and a long illness. His three daughters, now settled in Nepal, Mumbai and Uttar Pradesh, watched his cremation on video call, having earlier reduced contact and failing to visit despite being informed of his deteriorating health.
SHIVCHARAN RAM RATAN GUPTA, a former textile trader from Mumbai, had been residing in an old age house in Sonipat, Haryana, for over a year and a half. The old man had been living with his wife, who unfortunately passed away earlier. When Shivcharan too passed away, none of his three daughters, for whom he had devoted his whole life for their education, were able to attend his last rites in person. Instead, the three daughters attended their father’s cremation via video calls, as all of them lived in different places.
Shivcharan and his wife, originally hailing from Mumbai, Maharashtra, had been living in an old-age home run by the Samaj Kalyan Shiksha Samiti in West Ram Nagar, Haryana’s Sonipat. After his wife passed away, the old man was left all alone. On Tuesday, August 4, 2026, Shivcharan passed away at around 3:30 am, after a long battle with a prolonged illness. After his death, the old-age home’s management authority tried to contact his three daughters and inform them about their father’s demise. As all of them lived in different places, they couldn't reach Sonipat in time and instead had to attend their father’s last rites via video calls — virtually joining from Nepal, Mumbai, and Uttar Pradesh.
Shivcharan’s last rites and cremation were held by the old-age home’s management, with help from the local community.
Anand Kumar, Administrator of the old-age home, talked about the bond Shivcharan had with his three daughters. Kumar said that the old man frequently talked to his children on phone calls, but their communication started dwindling once Shivcharan was diagnosed with his illness.
Kumar further said that the daughters were informed about their father’s deteriorating health 20 days prior to his death, however, they still did not come to visit him.
“Shivcharan had a phone through which he used to talk to his daughters. After he became ill, their calls stopped. We informed them about his condition, but they still could not come,” Kumar said.
Kumar further said that the three daughters were informed almost immediately about their father’s death, and were assured that arrangements could be made to accommodate them for Shivcharan’s last rites should they come to Sonipat. However, they said they were unable to travel and instead attended their father’s cremation virtually via video calls.
One of Shivcharan’s daughters, Anita, is a teacher and lives in Nepal. She sent the old-age house Rs 5,100 to make proper preparations for her father’s last rites.
After the old man’s cremation, the three daughters requested the old-age home’s management to send them video recordings of their father’s funeral proceedings. Over the call, one of them is heard saying, “How much longer will this take? We have to eat and bathe.”
Shivcharan Gupta has dedicated all his life to support and educate his three daughters. The old-age home where he resided said that the old man had ensured that all his children received a good education, and was especially proud of their achievements. Two of his daughters went on to become teachers.
His three daughters, who all live in different places, are married and have families of their own. Shivcharans’s eldest daughter, Anita, lives in Nepal, while the other two, Nisha and Priya, live in Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh, and Mumbai, respectively.
The three daughters had initially requested the old-age home’s management to preserve their father’s ashes. However, later, they said they didn't have the time to come to Sonipat to collect the ashes and asked the old-age home management to spread the ashes in the Ganga river.
(Edited by Ritik Singh)
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