Hera-pheri of body at GMCH

By Our Staff Reporter

Guwahati, June 30: Family members of a youth who was brought dead to GMCH on Tuesday last have alleged that the hospital authorities misplaced the body and handed over the mortal remains of a different person to them.

Imran Ali (20), a resident of Dampur in Hajo, was referred to GMCH from the Sualkuchi FRU on Tuesday in a 102 ambulance. Ali was, however, declared brought dead at GMCH.

As no attendant was accompanying the body, it was handed over to Bhangagarh police which shifted it to the morgue.

Family members of Ali, accompanied by local villagers, came to the GMCH yesterday, seeking custody of the body.

However, the family members and neighbours, instead of informing the GMCH authorities, contacted an acquaintance – Tofique Ali, who worked at the hospital as a contractual cleaner.

Imran’s materl uncle Nur Islam said Tofique told them that there could be hassles in claiming the body and took Rs 2,000 to “mage the police”. Tofique also told them that the body was kept in box number 9 of the morgue.

At that time a police team from Jalukbari outpost arrived at the morgue to dispose of an unidentified body found on June 26. It is learnt that that unidentified body was actually kept at box number 9.

Tofique then told the team of Jalukbari police that the unidentified body kept at box number 9 has been identified and the claimants had come to take it. In fact, two of Imran’s neighbours also saw the body kept at box number 9 – on which post mortem was done – and claimed it was that of Imran.

Meanwhile, agitated villagers had also planned to attack Sualkuchi FRU as Jalukbari police claimed to have found the unidentified body near the Jalukbari flyover. They suspect that the persons in the ambulance dumped Imran’s body at Jalukbari.

However, when family members were preparing for the ‘jaja’, they realized to their dismay that the body was actually that of a Hindu person.

Pandemonium erupted at the village following the incident and the unknown body was brought to GMCH last night itself. Today morning scores of villagers thronged the GMCH, seeking the whereabouts of Imran’s body. Noisy scenes erupted at the GMCH as many locals came in three buses from Hajo.

Eventually, the GMCH authorities recognized that the body kept at box number 12 was that of Imran and it was handed over to the family members today.

The GMCH has meanwhile blamed the villagers for wrongly identifying the body yesterday, which led to the faux pas.