What to Know
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A pair of siblings has filed a lawsuit against a Long Island funeral home after it allegedly gave their fathers ashes to another family[hhmc]
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In their joint lawsuit, Susan and Sunil Sharma say they wanted to spread their father's ashes in the Ganges River in India[hhmc]
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The Lake Ronkonkoma Moloney Funeral Home allegedly mixed up the remains of Sarup Sharma with a different man who had the same last name[hhmc]
Two siblings have filed a lawsuit against a Long Island funeral home after it allegedly gave their fathers ashes to another family in a mix-up.
In their joint lawsuit, Susan and Sunil Sharma say they wanted to cremate their fathers remains and spread the ashes in the Ganges River in India in a traditional Hindu ceremony, but the Lake Ronkonkoma Moloney Funeral Home allegedly mixed up the remains of Sarup Sharma with a different man who had the same last name.
The lawsuit says the siblings planned to scatter their fathers ashes along with their mothers — who passed away in September 2017, seven months after their father — in the traditional Hindu ceremony.
The siblings and their family, thinking they were in possession of Sarups remains traveled to India and scattered the ashes, according to the lawsuit filed in Nassau County on Aug. 13.
Gerry Broome/AP
The court document describes the “custom of spreading the deceaseds remains in the Ganges” as a “sacred, important, and central rite in Hindu life.”
The lawsuit states that it wasnt until November that the funeral home allegedly informed the siblings that they accidently sent their fathers remains to the family of Shashi Sharma, who shares the same last name but is not related, and that they hadnt received their fathers ashes.
Through their lawsuit, the siblings contend that the funeral home “was negligent, reckless and otherwise carless in its care and custody of Sarup Sharmas remains.”
Additionally, the lawsuit says the siblings “suffered mental anguish.”
The Sharma siblings are seeking a monetary sum, interest, costs and disbursements as well as any additional monies and relief the court deems “just and proper.”
Oscar Michelen, the siblings attorney, pointed that the legal claim is that the funeral home violated the plaintiffs “right to sepulcher.”
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According to the funeral homes spokesperson, Katherine Heaviside, the funeral home is reviewing its procedures to prevent another similar incident from occurring.
"Once we learned of the situation we immediately reached out to both families to express our remorse and assure them of our full cooperation during this difficult time,” Heaviside said, adding, “we have reviewed all of our procedures and have taken steps to strengthen our protocols further to ensure that we maintain the full trust and confidence of the families we serve, as we have for the last 85 years."
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NBC
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