Days after riot, families find missing members' body in mortuary

NEW DELHI: Prem Singh was missing since February 25, and his family had contacted all hospitals and friends about his whereabouts. However, the family had to witness a tragic brunt as he was identified by his family on Saturday.

On Sunday morning, the family was still sitting outside Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital's mortuary, trying to get the body home.

“He had left for work on the 25th and since then we had no news about him,” his brother told the reporter. His family reached the GTB mortuary on Saturday evening where they were taken inside where his body was identified. "We don't even know what happened. How he was killed or where he was killed for that matter," Vijendra Singh his brother told the reporter.

But according to some officials, Prem Singh was hit on the head and stabbed by a mob, but the family is unaware of what has happened.

"We belong to Scheduled Caste community, we are so poor and work on a daily basis, now, how will we survive," his relative added.

Singh leaves behind three daughters, the eldest being 12-year-old. His mother is completely devastated and could not believe what had happened. On the other hand, Shiv Vihar's Saleem has been waiting outside the hospital for five days. His brother was burnt in front of him. “I just want this to get over so that I can leave this place,” he said while sitting outside GTB'S mortuary.

His brother's body was completely charred, while whatever is left of him are his legs. “Nothing of his body was left. We have identified his body, we just want the hospital to give his body,” he said.

Hospital officials, on the other hand, are saying that they are taking out DNA of the body and as nothing is left of the body, it is becoming difficult to ease the process.

About 47 people have died in the riots that engulfed the national Capital. Four bodies were found in Shiv Vihar drain on Sunday, while the search for more is still going on.

Many people are missing and families are in fear for them. More than 350 are said to be injured and admitted in different hospitals.