Panvel municipality dumps 8 unidentified bodies without last rites

In a case that highlights the height of insensitivity of the Panvel Municipal Council (PMC), eight unidentified bodies were reportedly dumped in a pit near the Panvel cemetery without any last rites. These bodies had been lying at the Vashi hospital mortuary for a long time.

The incident took place in October last year, when the civic officials disposed off eight unidentified bodies in an unlawful manner near the Panvel cemetery. Then despite several complaints from a corporator, the civic body did not take any concrete action against its officials. Now it has been four moths since the civic and police authorities carried out the disgraceful act.

A few highways, such as National Highway 17, National Highway 4 and Sion-Panvel Expressway, are connected to the Panvel area. As a result, many cases of accidental death and murder are generally reported from the area. If the bodies are unidentified, they are kept in Panvel or Vashi mortuary.

At present, there are 304 unclaimed bodies recovered from the Navi Mumbai area, of which 19 bodies are from Zone 2 jurisdiction, according to the data available on the Navi Mumbai police website.

Meanwhile, corporator Ganesh Kadu told dna, "On the day of the incident, I received a call from my colleagues regarding the matter. I immediately reached the cemetery to see that the civic staff had disposed off 8-9 bodies in just a 2-feet-deep pit. In addition, more bodies were piled up in an ambulance, which were reportedly dumped somewhere else." The bodies were so close to the surface that their parts coyuld be seen, he added.

When dna contacted PMC chief officer Mangesh Chitla, he said, "We have suspended two employees. We have also asked for an explanation from sanitary inspector Kadam, who was responsible for the incident. We will take all necessary actions within 15 days."

It turns out this is not the only time that PMC hurriedly did away with the bodies. Activist Rajiv Mishra told dna that in 2006, Thamsing Rajput went missing, and a case in this regard was registered at the Kalamboli police station. Rajput's family kept visiting the police station for any news about him. One day, a cop told the family that they had found a body. The family recognised Rajput's shoes and clothes.

Mishra added that later, the policemen took the family to the cemetery. When the digging started, as many as five bodies surfaced from the same pit. The police told the family that Rajput died a natural death. The family, however, demanded a post-mortem. The JJ hospital's report later confirmed it to be a case of murder.

"The police manual clearly states that if any unidentified body is found, its face must be washed to get sharp photographs, which should then be published in local and regional media within 24 hours. At the time of disposal, all details, including where the body has been buried should be clearly recorded," said Mishra.