10 June,2026 08:10 AM IST | Mumbai | Vinod Kumar Menon
(From left) Makarand Narwekar, Renu Kapoor, MLA Rahul Narwekar inaugurate the new mortuary at St George’s Hospital
From a driver's post-mortem report to a Rs 5.5 crore mortuary: How 35 citizens spent 3312 days battling red tape, encroachments and delays to transform a crumbling facility into a modern forensic centre.
Renu Kapoor,
âI am a firm believer in the power of collective action and the law of attraction. When you work for the public good, you attract good people within the system who want to do the right thing. India has strong systems; they have simply rusted from disuse. Citizens must engage with them to make them work again. Ade Raho, keep at it. Every change begins with a voice.'
The spot where the new state-of-the-art mortuary has come within St George's Hospital compound. Pic/By Special Arrangement
Dr Vinayak Savardekar, Medical Superintendent, St George's Hospital
âThe mortuary facelift was part of the hospital's expansion plan, but citizen participation helped create a state-of-the-art facility. The ground-plus-one structure includes a viewing gallery for medical students. Earlier, there were only six cabinets handling one to two autopsies daily.'
The cold storage room. PICS/ASHISH RAJE
What began as an individual concern evolved into a citizens' movement involving professionals, retirees, homemakers and community leaders. What the group did:
>> Tracked files through departments
>> Wrote representations and letters
>> Attended government meetings
>> Followed up on approvals
>> Offered legal and administrative expertise
>> Kept pressure on authorities
According to Kapoor, none of the volunteers were activists.
They were simply citizens determined to improve a public institution.
Colaba-based chartered accountant Renu Kapoor outside the new mortuary of St George Hospital. PIC/ASHISH RAJE
On May 12, 2017, Colaba resident and chartered accountant Renu Kapoor visited St George's Hospital to collect the post-mortem report of her driver. What she saw shocked her.
"The mortuary was not a facility worthy of a major public hospital. It was a dilapidated structure with broken infrastructure and inadequate facilities. The conditions under which post-mortems were conducted were shocking."
Instead of leaving, Kapoor began asking questions. Her discussions with doctors, forensic experts, medical students, and hospital staff revealed a larger problem - the hospital lacked the infrastructure required to conduct post-mortems with dignity and professionalism.
Under Section 174 of the CrPC and Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), autopsies are mandatory in:
>> Unnatural deaths
>> Suspicious deaths
>> Unexplained deaths
>> Custodial deaths
>> Dowry deaths
>> Unidentified bodies
>> Other medico-legal cases
>> Family consent is not required in such cases
The word "autopsy" comes from the Greek word autopsia, meaning "seeing for oneself".
An autopsy is a medical examination of a body after death to determine:
>> Cause of death
>> Time of death
>> Manner of death
>> Determine the exact cause of death
>> Detect foul play or criminal activity
>> Provide forensic evidence
>> Support court proceedings
>> Verify police findings
>> Assist criminal investigations
Then Now
Dilapidated mortuary Modern G+1 mortuary
Six body cabinets 24 body cabinets
Poor forensic infrastructure Upgraded forensic facilities
Limited student access Dedicated viewing gallery
Hygiene concerns Improved standards
Years of neglect Rs 5.5 crore state-funded facility
