Here's Why Sewer Death Victim Anil's Parents Are Upset With Media For His Viral Photo

New facts have emerged in the story that runs contrary to the narrative presented so far.

Source: Twitter/@shivsunny

New Delhi: On Friday, a 27-year-old sanitation worker named Anil died of asphyxiation while cleaning a sewer in west Delhi. An image of his alleged son sobbing and standing next to his dead body went viral on Twitter.After seeing the heart-wrenching photo, Twitter users in no time, managed to raise over Rs 50 lakh for his family.

Touched by the gesture, Anil’s "wife" Rani thanked the fundraisers for helping her out at the time of need.

However, new facts have emerged in the story that runs contrary to the narrative presented so far.

I'd like to thank those people. All I want is to educate my 3 children& ensure that they lead a good life. I'd be extremely grateful if you could help me in this: Rani, wife of man who died of asphyxiation while cleaning Delhi Jal board Sewer on funds raised by social media users pic.twitter.com/iAt0tarSvR

— ANI (@ANI) September 18, 2018

ABP News visited Anil's house in west Delhi’s Dabri on Wednesday evening. There we met Anil's parents who told ABP News that the child in the viral picture is not Anil's and Rani is not Anil's wife but his aunt [mausi]. In fact, Anil was never married, they said.

Anil's mother Saroj told ABP News, "Rani is my sister. She was never married to Anil. In fact my son has never married at all. She is posing as his wife and doing all this for money. She did not even let me attend the last rites of my son."

Saroj further said, "Rani has three children from her husband, who has abandoned her and lives somewhere in Mumbai. Rani lives in a room near our house. The child in the picture is not my son's but Rani's from her estranged husband."

An upset Saroj said the media has not talked to them at all but giving Rani all their attention and sympathies.

A grief-stricken Deen Dayal, Anil's father, told ABP News," I have eight children and Anil was the only earning member of our family. He used to give us some money. How will we survive now?"

Virendra, a close friend of Anil, also told ABP News that Anil was unmarried. Some neighbours talked in hushed tones that Anil used to live with her maternal aunt.

Blaming the media, Deen Dayal said nobody bothered to check with him about the viral photograph and all the funds collected has only gone in one woman's account who he said was not the deserving beneficiary.

On the other hand, Rani asserted that she and Anil were living together for almost three years in Delhi and were slated to get married in court soon. She maintains that Anil was taking care of her children for the last two years.

The crowdfunding platform, which raised over Rs 50 Lakh after the picture took social media by storm has decided to wait for the time being before transferring the money to the beneficiary.

Along with @shivsunny and @udayfoundation,we’re looking into the ABP news report & will share an update soon. No funds have been transferred until now & funds raised are transferred to a beneficiary following a thorough check of facts and completion of our verification procedure.

— Ketto (@ketto) September 20, 2018

So, now the question is who will be the beneficiary of the 50 lakh? And who’s actually saying the truth?