Probe unclaimed bodies in Bathinda: Centre to state
BATHINDA: The Centre has asked the state government to conduct a thorough inquiry into the matter of unclaimed bodies in Bathinda district. Copies of a letter sent by the Centre have also been forwarded to the Punjab director general of police and general secretary of the state home ministry.
The president of a Bathindabased social organisation, Nauzwan Welfare Society, in 2010 had said unidentified bodies recovered in the district were cremated without registration of a case with police or department concerned. The bodies were cremated without conducting post mortem.
As per rules, the information regarding any unidentified body found by a social welfare society or an individual has to be passed on to district administration. Civil hospital should con-
I asked admin to provide details of unidentified bodies and post mortem reports, but the department failed to give info
SONU MAHESHWARI, president, Nauzwan society
duct post mortem and send details to police.
The data pertaining to bodies has to be kept in record, say the rules.
Nauzwan Welfare Society president Sonu Maheshwari had written to the Centre and Punjab Human Rights Commission over the “apathetic” attitude of the district administration.
“Through RTI, I asked the administration to provide details of unidentified bodies, which were cremated in the past and their post mortem reports, but the department concerned failed to provide any information,” Maheshwari said.
The matter was brought to the notice of the state home ministry and Punjab Human Rights Commission through the RTI in 2010, he said.
Punjab Human Rights Commission general secretary Ved Parkash Gupta
said, “It’s a big scandal and social welfare organizations have made it a business. The district administration is allegedly involved with these organisations.”
A few months back, central health department has sought details regarding all unidentified bodies, but the state government didn’t pursue the matter, he said, adding that after the letter was forwarded to the union home ministry, the latter told the state government to inquire the matter and submit details.