Family cremates wrong body after Delhi hospital mix-up, probe underway

A case of alleged negligence at a hospital in Nangloi here has came to light, after a family cremated the wrong body mistaking it for their relative’s, police sources said on Friday.

According to a source, two bodies were brought to the hospital’s mortuary on Thursday.

“One was Pankaj Kumar, a resident of Prem Nagar, who died after falling from terrace and sustained fatal injuries. His body was kept at the mortuary for post-mortem examination. Around the same time, the body of Bharat Bhushan from Nangloi was also brought in for autopsy,” said the source.

It is alleged that the family members of Bharat Bhushan mistakenly identified the body of Pankaj Kumar as that of their relative’s. After post-mortem, they completed the formalities, claimed the body and performed the last rites.

The mix-up came to light when Pankaj Kumar’s family reached the hospital to collect his body. As there was only one body in the mortuary at the time, they raised objections, as it was not their relative.

Pankaj Kumar’s family alleged serious negligence on part of the hospital in handling the bodies, claiming that a proper identification process was not ensured.

The source said they have not received a formal written complaint yet but confirmed that the matter is under investigation.

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“We are verifying the sequence of events and questioning the hospital staff to ascertain whether due procedures were followed,” the source said.

Further legal action will be taken once the inquiry is complete, the source added.