Covid patient’s body goes missing from civic hospital Mumbai

The hospital suspects the body was accidentally handed over to someone else for final rites. (Representational Photo)

The body of a 27-year-old Covid-19 patient, who was allegedly murdered by his cousins, has gone missing from BMC-run Rajawadi hospital. While the murder case is being investigated by the Deonar police, Tilak Nagar police is conducting an inquiry into the missing body incident.

The police said the man was allegedly assaulted and stabbed in abdomen by his cousins on the night of June 3 around 10.30 pm following a family spat. Five people have so far been arrested in the case.

The family friend of the deceased said the man was taken to Rajawadi hospital, where he was declared brought dead. “Doctors said they will have to conduct a portmortem, before which they had to test him for Covid-19. By June 5, they informed us that he had tested positive.”

On June 6, the family tried to arrange for an ambulance but no driver was willing to transport the body of an infected person. On Sunday, they visited Rajawadi hospital with an ambulance. “From morning till evening, all bodies were checked multiple times, but we could not find him,” the friend said.

The hospital suspects the body was accidentally handed over to someone else for final rites.

When contacted, Dr Daksha Shah, BMC deputy executive health officer, said she is not aware of the incident and that Rajawadi hospital is directly looking into the matter. Hospital superintendent Dr Vidya Thakur did not respond to calls or messages. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone VI) Shashi Meena said, “We are conducting an inquiry into how the body went missing. No FIR has been registered so far.”