Family Cremates Wrong Body after Mix-up at Mortuary in Gwalior

The staffers at the mortuary of a government-run hospital in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior allegedly mixed up bodies of two deceased patients whilehanding over one of them to the relatives, police said on Sunday.

The family that took the wrong body, which was wrapped in a polythene bag, even cremated it thinking that it was of their relative, a police official said.

The incident took place recently at the Gajra RajaMedical College and Hospital and it came to light when the other family reached the hospital to receive the body, he said. According to police, both the patients had died due to different diseases and tested negative for COVID-19.

Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) SatendraSingh Tomar said that one Irtaza Mohammed (64), a resident of Morena, was admitted to the Gajra Raja Medical College onAugust 11 for the treatment of his hands.

"He died on August 13 while undergoing treatment.However, the hospital did not hand over the body to the family members as they said that the deceased's COVID-19 test reportis awaited," he said.

The hospital staffers told the family that the bodywould be handed over only after the COVID-19 test report.

"However, when the family members reached thehospital's mortuary on August 15, they found that Irtaza Mohammed's body was handed over to another family," he said. Later, the family members reached Kampoo police station and told the officials about it. Meanwhile, Suresh Batham (70), a resident of Bahodapur area of the city, also died in the same hospital on August 13,the ASP said.

"The hospital's mortuary staffers mixed up the bodiesand handed over Irtaza Mohammed's body to Batham's family," he added. Kampoo Police Station in-charge K N Tripathi said that Batham's family performed the last rites of the body, wrappedin a polythene bag, without seeing the face.

After the incident came to light, Batham's body washanded over to his family for the last rites, he added.

However, the family members of Irtaza Mohammed createdruckus at Kampoo police station and the hospital on Sunday demanding action against the erring staff of the mortuary. The administration pacified them after assuring the action against the staff members who were at fault. A Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) will also conduct an inquiry into the bodies mix-up, police said.