A video of poverty-stricken elderly parents of a deceased boy begging on the streets in the Indian state of Bihar has gone viral in the country, triggering a debate about social justice.
The couple from the clip told Indian media they needed money to pay a "bribe" in order to recover their son's body from a hospital.
Speaking with Indian news agency ANI, Mahesh Thakur, the father of the deceased, said that a government official at the state run hospital in Samastipur District allegedly asked the couple for INR 50,000 ($643) to release the body.
The couple explained that they felt compelled to beg it from others because they didn't have enough money to pay the hospital staff.
"A few weeks ago, my son went missing. Earlier this week, we received a call that my son's body is at Sadar Hospital, Samastipur. A hospital employee has asked for INR 50,000 to release my son's body. We're poor people. How can we pay this amount?" Thakur added.
Meanwhile, the district authorities have claimed that the parents "misunderstood" the hospital staff's directions, providing no further details.
A senior surgeon from the hospital has said that a strict action will be taken in the matter. The individuals found responsible for the matter will not be spared.
It is not the first time that bribery charges have been made against the hospital staff, another video on Monday was posted by a social media user saying that the staff could be seen asking for a bribe.