Hefty ambulance fare of Rs 10,000 charged from Thrissur to Kochi airport; probe heads nowhere

Thrissur: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan ordered a probe over the incident in which an ambulance fare of Rs 10,000 was charged to carry a dead body from Govt Medical College in Thrissur to Nedumbassery airport. A private ambulance driver has allegedly charged the huge fare of Rs 10,000 to carry the dead body of an Uttar Pradesh native woman, who committed suicide in Kodakara. Only Rs 2,708 can be charged for the ambulance service to cover the same distance.

A social worker Ajith Kodakara has lodged the complaint with the support of evidence to the CM. Though a probe was initiated under RTO as per the direction of the CM, no progress has been made yet. 

26-year-old Gujan Beevi, who had been living in a rented house in Kodakara with husband Amith, was found dead on November 27, 2022. The couple was making a living by selling sugarcane juice on roadsides. 

The ambulance driver demanded Rs 10,000 when the body was taken to the airport on November 29 after autopsy. Amith paid the amount via Google Pay. 

The complaint also noted that Rs 5350 was charged for embalming the dead body and Rs 13,500 in the name of inquest.