Man Who Performed Last Rites for 5500 Unclaimed Bodies Wins Padma Shri

At 87, Mohammad Shareef is known to many as a humble bicycle mechanic. But for thousands of abandoned souls, he is the man who ensured they did not leave this world without dignity.

For 27 years, Shareef — fondly called Shareef Chacha — has performed the last rites of unclaimed bodies, irrespective of caste or religion. In that time, over 3,000 Hindus and 2,500 Muslims have found dignity in death because of him.

But his mission began with unimaginable loss.

In 1992, as he struggled to make ends meet, Shareef’s eldest son left for Sultanpur in search of work. Weeks passed without a call or letter. Worried, Shareef spent over a month knocking on doors, searching for him.

Then, one day, he found his son’s body stuffed inside a sack near a railway track, partly eaten by stray animals.

The sight shattered him.

That day, Shareef made a promise: no human being should leave this world without dignity.

Since then, he has cycled to mortuaries, police stations, and railway tracks, looking for the abandoned dead. Whether mutilated, decapitated, or wrapped in bloodstained cloth, he accepts every unclaimed body.

He performs their final bath and last rites at the Taadwali Takai cemetery in Rakabganj, Faizabad, ensuring they receive the farewell they deserve.

His journey has not been easy. People once called him mad and shunned him. Despite his age, poverty, and the responsibility of supporting a family of 15, Shareef Chacha never stopped.

Instead, he continued, giving thousands the dignified farewell his own son never received.

In recognition of his selfless service, he was awarded the Padma Shri in 2020.

In a world that often forgets the dead, Mohammad Shareef refuses to. And through his quiet, unwavering commitment, he reminds us that dignity in death is not a privilege, but a basic human right.