Case of mistaken identity, dead bodies exchanged

Sirsa, Jan 12 (UNI) Negligence on the part of the civil hospital authorities resulted in the exchange of two dead bodies after autopsy yesterday.

The family of one of the deceased who hailed from Rohtak, were taken aback when on reaching home THEY found that the body that they had brought was that of someone else. They immediately came back here and brought the matter to the notice of the hospital authorities.

According to the police, a school-teacher named Gopal Shastri hailing from Rohtak, who was posted in a village of this district died of cardiac arrest on Wednesday last. The dead body of the teacher was brought to the civil hospital for postmorten on the same day.

The postmortem was conducted yesterday and a dead body wrapped in a white cloth was handed over to the relatives of the deceased who had come from Rohtak yesterday. The relatives took the body that was handed over to them home, only to discover that they had brought a stranger's dead body home.

The aggrieved family members rushed back with the body and handed it over to the hospital authorities. They were however relieved when they discovered the body of their relative lying in the hospital and collected it.

The body of the stranger was of a 'sadhu' who had died due to cold. It was then handed over to the Municipal Council for cremation.

UNI