Udupi: A grieving family members of a dead police constable ended up transporting his dead body in a police mini bus on Saturday, June 17 due to shortage of ambulance.

The deceased, Mahantha Basappa (37) was working as police constable at KSRP training centre in Haveri. He was brought to Manipal for treatment of kidney ailment. However he died on Friday, June 16 without responding to the treatment and it was decided to take his body to his native place in Bagalkote for final rites.

However, due to unavailability of a government ambulance, his body was kept in the mortuary. When no ambulance was available for a long time the police department arranged for a KSRP bus to transport the body and family members to their native place, it is gathered.

The incident evoked a sense of anger among netizens who attacked the KSRP. However, the officials of the KSRP have stated that while the government ambulance was not available, they made sure that the family reaches the native place as fast as possible with the dead body. The KSRP’s act, the officials said was purely on humanitarian grounds.