At mortuary, dead bodies swapped

Bangalore: High drama prevailed at Baptist Hospital mortuary on Thursday when the family members of a retired lieutenant colonel came to collect his body. Reason: They had been given the body of another man. And then came the shocking news — the ex-serviceman’s body had been handed over to another family who had already conducted the cremation!

Lt. Colo­nel Sohan Lal (retd), 85, a native of Pun­jab who was settled in Yelahanka New Town, was a diabetic and was admit­ted to the hospital on December 18. He passed away on Tuesday. Family members told hospital authorities that they would collect the body on Thursday, as their relatives have to arrive from Punjab. The body was shifted to the mortuary.

Meanwhile, Venka­taraju, 78, a resident of Vin­ayakanagar in Bag­alur and a diabetic, was admitted to the hospital on Tuesday and passed away the same night. His body too was shifted to the mortuary.

“On Wednesday, family members of Venkataraju went to the mortuary to collect the body. They were given the body of Sohan Lal instead of Venkataraju by the mortuary staff. Surprisingly, they did not find anything odd and left with Sohan Lal’s body. They even cremated it at Hebbal crematorium on Wednesday,” the police said.

“On Thursday morning, Sohan Lal’s family members reached the mortuary to collect the body. When they were given Venkataraju’s body, they said it was not Sohan Lal, leaving the mortuary staff shocked.

They checked the records and found that Sohan Lal’s body was claimed by Venkataraju’s family. They contacted the family members, who we­re also shocked and dis­clos­ed that they had alr­eady completed the last rites,” the police added.

The hospital staff conveyed the news to Sohan Lal’s family who took them to task. Soon,  family members of Venk­ataraju  arrived at the mortuary. There was a heated argument between the families who held the hospital staff responsible.

“Venka­taraju’s family claimed that Sohan Lal looked very much like Ven­kataraju and they did not realise it was not the latter’s body. Sohan Lal’s son has filed a complaint with Hebbal police agai­nst the hospital staff and family of Venkataraju,” the pol­ice said.

Meanwhile, the two families decided to resolve the matter and Venk­ataraju’s kin gave the ashes of Sohan Lal to his family. Venkataraju’s bo­dy was claimed by his family.  When contacted, hospital authorities said, “Baptist Hospital has nothing to with the incident as the  mortuary is outsourced to St. Peter’s Undertaker, a private agency.”