Indian Man Dies After Receiving Receipt for Own Cremation

An elderly Indian man was so shocked to receive a bogus receipt for his own cremation service that he suffered a heart attack and died, The Times of India reported Friday.

Frail Than Singh, 70, was left aghast after reading that he had supposedly been cremated the week before.

But before the anxious dairy farmer could get to the bottom of what had happened he started complaining of chest pains.

Relatives rushed him to the hospital but Singh suffered a massive heart attack and died, The Times reported.

In a macabre twist, his body was subsequently delivered to the same crematorium in Ghaziabad, northeastern India.

And in another apparent coincidence, it was issued with the serial number 89 -- the same number listed on the mysterious letter.

Suspicious relatives called in police who believe his death was the result of a sick prank rather than an administrative mistake.

"The element of mischief is apparent and obvious," said senior superintendent of police, Ghaziabad Raghubir Lal.

"What remains to be deciphered is if the person behind it wanted to shock the old man to the extent that he may collapse and if so then why, or if it was merely a prank that took a serious turn."

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