Prayagraj: A major case of negligence has come to light at the district's post-mortem house. Despite identification, a body was handed over to the wrong family, leading to an uproar from family members of both sides. The bodies were subsequently re-exchanged in the presence of the police. This incident has ignited outrage among the grieving families.
According to reports, the body of Awadhesh Kumar (57), a grocery businessman residing in Jaunpur, was mistakenly handed over to the family of Jitendra Kesarwani, a railway employee from Kanpur. The mix-up was discovered when the family initiated the identification process while preparing for the last rites. As the complaint escalated, the post-mortem house administration sprung into action, retrieved the bodies, and subsequently delivered them to their rightful families.
Family members have leveled serious allegations against the post-mortem house staff. Relatives of the deceased stated that “800 rupees were demanded before the post-mortem and 300 rupees at the time of sealing the body”— raising questions about the alleged extortion of a total of 1,100 rupees.
Following the incident, the health department has also become active. CMO Dr. A.K. Tiwari stated that handing over a body to another family despite confirmed identification constitutes serious negligence, and a comprehensive investigation into the entire matter is underway. He assured that strict action would be taken against those found responsible.
Local residents and the families of the deceased have demanded that immediate corrective measures be taken to ensure transparency in the identification and documentation processes at the post-mortem house.
