In a deeply disturbing incident highlighting persistent caste discrimination, a 55-year-old man from Kirtipur village of Batemura panchayat in Sambalpur district was denied funeral support by his own community on Wednesday because he had married outside his caste.

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The deceased, Sudam Bhoi, had lost his wife earlier and is survived by a daughter. After his death in the morning, neither his relatives nor villagers came forward to help carry the body or participate in the funeral procession — all reportedly because he had married the woman from another caste years ago.

With no help from his caste brethren or neighbours, the local police outpost at Gunderpur reached out to a local volunteer, Ramdas Panda, who, along with other social workers

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