The OC of Lamphel Police Station, in a release on Saturday said that the body will be disposed of with the permission from the concerned authority if nobody claims it within 72 horrs i.e, till 7:30 pm of May 18, 2021.
TFM Desk
Justice for Sanaton Athokpam (JFSA) on Sunday condemned reports that the body of Sanaton at JNIMS morgue will be disposed of if nobody claims it within 72 hours since the body has started to decompose.
In a release on Saturday, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Lamphel Police Station stated that on March 15, 2021 at 02:15 pm an information was received from RIMS Police Picket that one Sanaton Athokpam (22) yrs S/o Tekendra Athokpam of Khurai Thangjam Leikai, Imphal East District, Manipur, an MBBS student at RIMS Hospital (5th Semester) staying in Gents Hostel No 3, Room No. C-15 was found hanging in his room. He was evacuated to RIMS Casualty hospital for medical treatment but he was declared brought dead by the Doctor on duty at 02:05 pm on the same day, it added.
Consequently, a UD Case under UD No. 5/LPS/2021 u/s 174 Cr.P.C. dated 15/03/2021 was registered for investigation.
The release further stated that the body was brought to JNIMS, Porompat on the same day and the Post-mortem Examination was conducted on March 16, 2021 at JNIMS, Porompat in the presence of an executive magistrate with video coverage.
Since then the body is kept at the Mortuary of JNIMS, Porompat and the family members of the deceased have not claimed or received the body till date. Meanwhile, a letter vide No. 21/Mor/FM-2010 dated 11/05/2021 was received from the Head of Department of Forensic Medicine, JNIMS, Porompat stating that due to “irregular power supply and hot weather”, the body of the deceased has started to decompose thereby causing “serious health hazard” to the staffs, doctors and public residing around the mortuary complex, it added.
The OC of Lamphel Police Station said that the dead body will be disposed of with the permission from the concerned authority if nobody claims it within 72 hrs i.e, till 7:30 pm of May 18, 2021.
Condemning the announcement, JFSA in a release on Sunday asserted that it is clear that the authority is trying to shield the “murderers” since documents such as postmortem report, death certificate, seizure list, etc have not been disclosed.
JFSA also warned that it will continue its agitations as soon as the deadly pandemic subsides and the government should be responsible for untoward incidents in it.