Goof-up comes to light only after Nepali family cremates man who was not related to them
Dr Nanasaheb Dharmadhikari Hospital in Panvel; (right) Sushant Malla. Pics/By Special Arrangement
The body of a 26-year-old man, Sushant Malla, was mistakenly handed over to another family by Dr Nanasaheb Dharmadhikari Hospital in Panvel. The mix-up was discovered only when Sushant’s relatives arrived at the hospital to collect his body and found it missing from the mortuary.
According to the police, the incident came to light on Friday, when the Malla family visited the hospital to take custody of the body. Hospital authorities began searching for it inside the mortuary but could not locate it. When they eventually showed a body to the family for identification, it turned out to be that of another man. Investigations later revealed that Sushant’s body had been mistakenly handed over to a Nepali family, who, unaware of the mix-up, had already performed his last rites.
Sushant, a resident of Kharghar, worked with a private firm. On October 21, he allegedly died by suicide at his residence. The Kharghar police registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) and sent his body to Dr Nanasaheb Dharmadhikari Hospital for a post-mortem examination. However, owing to the hospital’s alleged negligence, the wrong body was identified and released.
Speaking with mid-day, Sushant’s cousin Naresh Malla said, “Sushant died by suicide at home, and the Kharghar police sent his body for a post-mortem. When we went to collect it on Friday, we were shown another person’s body. We were shocked to see that the tag on the leg was not his. The hospital staff told us to wait while they searched for his body.
We did not receive his body till evening and gave the hospital an ultimatum to hand over the body by 8 pm, but didn’t get it. Finally, the hospital dean informed us that there had been a mistake — another family had wrongly identified Sushant’s body, taken it to Nepal, and already performed the
cremation.”
According to Naresh, the Malla family is very poor. “The hospital should take responsibility and help out. This is clear negligence, and the police should take strict action against those responsible,” he added. The police said they are looking into the matter and will take necessary action after an inquiry.
Meanwhile, Dr Ashok Githe, medical superintendent, Sub-District Hospital, Panvel, told mid-day, “The lesson we learn from this tragic incident is how a major mistake can occur due to emotional decisions and a mistaken identity. Both families were Nepalese, and the deceased’s age and physical features were also quite similar. The first family confidently identified their deceased and performed the last rites. This was an unfortunate misunderstanding. Now, after amicable discussions with the family of the second deceased, and with mutual understanding and respect for the feelings of both families, we are all proceeding together for the final rites. This only teaches us that in sensitive matters, it is essential to have complete certainty before arriving at any decision.”
Oct 21
Day Sushant Malla died by suicide
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