Rajkot: A serious lapse in the identification and handover of bodies has come to light at Rajkot Civil Hospital, where the body of 92-year-old retired teacher Harsukhlal Thakar was mistakenly handed over to another family and cremated.Thakar’s son, Umesh, said his father had been admitted to a private hospital in Rajkot after falling ill. His condition deteriorated during treatment and he was placed on a ventilator. He died on Sept 28.As one of Thakar’s daughters was in the US, the family decided to postpone the last rites till her arrival. His body was subsequently kept in the cold storage at the civil hospital.On Wednesday morning, the family reached the hospital to collect the body. However, hospital staff could not locate Thakar’s body.An inquiry found that the body had been mistakenly handed over to the family of a man from Mumbai, identified as Gopalbhai, on Tuesday. The family had reportedly come to Rajkot to collect the body of their relative, identified as Govind, after A Division police found an unidentified body. Due to an error in identification, they were handed Thakar’s body instead.The family cremated the body at Ramnathpara crematorium at around 2.30pm on Tuesday, unaware of the mix-up.The incident angered Thakar’s family members, who approached Pradyumna Nagar police station and demanded action against those responsible. Police have registered an entry and begun an investigation.Hospital medical superintendent Kamalsinh Dodiya described the incident as serious and unfortunate. Talking to media persons, he said, “An inquiry committee had been formed to establish how the mix-up occurred and identify those responsible. The committee will also examine whether the incident amounts to criminal negligence.”He also added that the hospital will finalise a standard operating procedure (SOP) for dead body identification.Thakar was a retired teacher who had served as principal of a school run by the municipal corporation.
