SMS hosp thana has turned into a storeroom for viscera samples

Jaipur: Boxes and boxes of viscera samples, but not a place to keep. The SMS Hospital police station has turned into a storeroom for the vital remains of the dead, even if the resulting stench is enough to repel visitors and cops.
Jaipur police had last year converted its SMS “chowki” (outpost) into a full-fledged police station. Only a stone’s throw away from the mortuary inside the SMS Hospital, the thana is bereft of almost all resources necessary for a police station located in the heart of Jaipur. The police station is so cramped and poorly ventilated that most of the staff could be seen sitting on chairs outside. Another problem is the stench emanating from the large room which is filled with boxes of viscera samples.
SHO Navratan Dholia said these samples belong to deceased from different states like Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
Sources said that investigation officers (IOs) often do not visit the claim these samples for FSL examination. “Only when IOs get into troubled waters due to the court’s directions, do they come in haste to collect the sample,” said a senior official.
With a strength of nearly 20 cops posted at SMS Hospital police station, many rue that the acrid odour from the “same room,” makes it unpleasant for them to walk around. There are no rooms for the staff to stay during long hours of duty. The construction of a new tower outside the police station has added a new problem.
“The path outside the police station has been reduced to half due to the ongoing construction. Only a single car can pass through the route at a time. Often, the police jeep must be parked somewhere else,” said a cop.
The other problem includes a lack of space for visitors. The SHO room is perhaps the smallest in the city. “It is difficult to carry out normal police operations due to short spaces,” the official added.