Agra Police does a quickie with bodies
VIJAY UPADHYAY
Agra. In the last two years more than 700 unidentified bodies have been discovered in Agra. Worse, the Agra police has been disposing of these bodies in whatever manner possible, without getting them first identified. In the past one year, more than 300 bodies were cremated without ascertaining the identity.
Sources said wherever a body is found in the town there is a procedure to be followed. And, the first of these is its identification which is preceded by publication of photograph and description in local newspapers. These photographs are also to be matched with those of missing persons. However, this procedure is hardly followed and the bodies are cremated immediately after postmortem.
Speaking to The Pioneer Ashok Goyal, secretary of Agra Kshetra Bajaja Committee, an NGO engaged in the cremation of Hindus in Agra since the last 125 years, said there have been several instances where bodies have been cremated by the police without following the stipulated procedure. This indicates that the police are not keen on getting the bodies identified as identification could complicate matters for them.
Citing an example, Mr Goyal said a month ago the police cremated a Muslim couple as per Hindu rites. The matter could have easily led to communal tensions. The Bajaja Committee then collected ashes and kept it into a coffin to prevent any conflict.
He also informed of a reputed Agra jeweller, who was cremated by the police last year. Policemen, who found the body of the jeweller, allegedly took the jewellery worn by him and cremated the body to cover up their action. Identification was possible only after the pacemaker implanted in the jeweler's heart was recovered in the ashes. An income tax officer was cremated in the same manner last year. Now, the committee has prepared a special room at the Taj Ganj crematorium, where ashes of unidentified bodies can be preserved for future identification for a period of at least two years.
Goyal also informed that cremation of an unknown body in an electric crematorium costs the committee nearly one thousand rupees. It has been agreed several times between the Agra police and the committee that the police shall pay at least half the amount for the cremation. However, the police never bothered to pay its share.
According to Mr Goyal, the committee was also installing two new electric crematoriums costing Rs 10 lakh, at the Taj Ganj crematorium, with the help of the Agra Development Authority.
(UNITED NEWS NETWORK)
For any queries or feedback - univijay@rediffmail.com, 9412282297, 9319108697
Agra. In the last two years more than 700 unidentified bodies have been discovered in Agra. Worse, the Agra police has been disposing of these bodies in whatever manner possible, without getting them first identified. In the past one year, more than 300 bodies were cremated without ascertaining the identity.
Sources said wherever a body is found in the town there is a procedure to be followed. And, the first of these is its identification which is preceded by publication of photograph and description in local newspapers. These photographs are also to be matched with those of missing persons. However, this procedure is hardly followed and the bodies are cremated immediately after postmortem.
Speaking to The Pioneer Ashok Goyal, secretary of Agra Kshetra Bajaja Committee, an NGO engaged in the cremation of Hindus in Agra since the last 125 years, said there have been several instances where bodies have been cremated by the police without following the stipulated procedure. This indicates that the police are not keen on getting the bodies identified as identification could complicate matters for them.
Citing an example, Mr Goyal said a month ago the police cremated a Muslim couple as per Hindu rites. The matter could have easily led to communal tensions. The Bajaja Committee then collected ashes and kept it into a coffin to prevent any conflict.
He also informed of a reputed Agra jeweller, who was cremated by the police last year. Policemen, who found the body of the jeweller, allegedly took the jewellery worn by him and cremated the body to cover up their action. Identification was possible only after the pacemaker implanted in the jeweler's heart was recovered in the ashes. An income tax officer was cremated in the same manner last year. Now, the committee has prepared a special room at the Taj Ganj crematorium, where ashes of unidentified bodies can be preserved for future identification for a period of at least two years.
Goyal also informed that cremation of an unknown body in an electric crematorium costs the committee nearly one thousand rupees. It has been agreed several times between the Agra police and the committee that the police shall pay at least half the amount for the cremation. However, the police never bothered to pay its share.
According to Mr Goyal, the committee was also installing two new electric crematoriums costing Rs 10 lakh, at the Taj Ganj crematorium, with the help of the Agra Development Authority.
(UNITED NEWS NETWORK)
For any queries or feedback - univijay@rediffmail.com, 9412282297, 9319108697
Comments