Dead body racket busted in Mysore

MYSORE: The city police busted a racket of sale of unclaimed dead bodies from K.R. Hospital to private colleges and arrested one person in this connection.
A dire shortage of dead bodies for dissection by medical students is the motive behind the racket. While all available bodies are transported to government teaching hospitals, private colleges have had to resort to buying dead bodies from wherever possible.
As per the directions of medical education director Dr Seetalakshmi, Mysore Medical College (MMC) principal Sheela G.Nayak submitted a report in this regard to the government on Friday.
Acting on a tip-off, the police intercepted a car carrying four unclaimed bodies and took the driver into custody on Thursday night.
During interrogation, the driver said he was taking the bodies to two medical colleges in North Karnataka from K.R. Hospital, which is a government teaching hospital attached to the MMC.
When police commissioner Bipin Gopalkrishna questioned the driver, he produced two letters from a doctor, who had earlier served at the MMC and is now retired. It was addressed to principals of private medical colleges in Mundargi and Haveri, which have “bought’’ the bodies.
When the police contacted MMC principal and K.R. Hospital superintendent, they expressed ignorance about the entire issue. Finally, forensic department head Dr Shenoy, who is incharge of K.R. Hospital mortuary, identified the bodies as unclaimed ones.
After further investigation, mortuary attender Venkatesh was arrested, Gopalakrishna said. “We have booked a case against the retired doctor who is absconding,’’ he told The times of India.
Earlier, K.R. Hospital’s board of visitors chairman and MLA H.S. Shankarlinge Gowda visited the college and questioned Dr Shenoy. While admitting he was incharge of the department, he maintained the bodies were shifted after he went home.
He said he was “afraid’’ to visit the mortuary after 7 pm, when the bodies were recovered by the police. He also claimed there are two sets of keys to the mortuary — one with the police and the other with the hospital’s casualty department.
The MMC principal said K.R. Hospital medical superintendent Dr Chandrashekar Shetty inquired into the ‘missing bodies’ case and handed over the report to her, which was subsequently submitted to medical education director. Dr Shenoy had also submitted to her a report on the incident.