30 May,2026 08:00 AM IST | Mumbai | Abhitash Singh
Kavita Borade died during treatment on Tuesday. Pics/By Special Arrangement; (right) A grab from the alleged video of a mortuary staffer accepting the money
The family of a deceased woman has alleged that they were forced to pay up for a shroud before her body was handed over at the postmortem facility of the government-run Sub-District Hospital in Panvel - an incident that has triggered outrage and raised questions over the functioning of government hospitals.
Turbhe resident Kavita Borade died during treatment on Tuesday. Following her death, the body was sent to the Panvel Sub-District Hospital for postmortem formalities. However, what followed left the grieving family shocked and humiliated.
Rs 600
Amount initially demanded by mortuary staff
According to Kavita's husband Kiran Borade, mortuary staff allegedly demanded Rs 600 for wrapping the body in a white cloth, commonly referred to as a âkafan', before releasing the body to the family. "We are extremely poor people⦠at least don't demand money for a kafan, sir," an emotional Borade said while narrating the ordeal the family faced during the final moments of their loved one's journey.
Borade claimed that due to financial difficulties, the family requested the staff to reduce the amount. After discussions and help from relatives and acquaintances who had accompanied them, the family managed to arrange around Rs 500, following which the body was handed over.
The incident came to light after social activist Nagmani Pandey conducted a sting operation at the mortuary and recorded a video of the conversation and alleged transaction with the staff. "I personally witnessed the family being asked to pay money for the kafan. I video recorded the entire incident because such things should not happen in a government hospital, especially with poor families who are already suffering," Pandey said.
The video has started circulating locally, triggering anger among local residents and social media users, many of whom termed the alleged demand "inhuman" and "insensitive". Several locals questioned why grieving families visiting government hospitals for postmortem procedures are being made to pay for basic necessities linked to the handing over of a body.
The incident has once again highlighted the lack of accountability and transparency in mortuary operations at government hospitals. Citizens and activists have demanded a probe into the matter and strict action if the allegations are found to be true.
