Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, August 29: In the wake of undignified treatment to a woman’s body at Soro in Balasore district, DGP KB Singh Monday directed all police personnel to ensure that handling and burying the dead should be done with utmost respect.
The DGP issued the instructions after instances of reluctance, apathy and mishandling of unidentified bodies by local police came to the notice of the state government.
“A few days back GRP officials had hired two sweepers from Soro to transport an old woman’s body. As rigor mortis had set in, they allegedly broke her body and wrapped it in a cloth and tied it to a bamboo pole to carry the corpse. An ASI posted at Soro GRP was present at the spot, but he had not opposed the sweepers’ act,” said the sources.
“Orissa DGP took cognizance of Soro incident and directed all SPs, DCPs and railways police to instruct field functionaries to sensitively handle and bury unidentified bodies. The DGP also stressed the need to sensitise field functionaries in this regard,” police said.
“Carriages handling postmortem and disposal of unidentified bodies will certainly require instant funds. In order to meet this immediate requirement, DGP has allowed the officials to utilise the money available with them and the same may be reimbursed from appropriate heads later. The DGP further said though disposal of the bodies is not the direct responsibility of the local police, they should ensure their proper disposal by the local municipal body or local government or non-government organisation under schemes like Mahaprayana or Harishchandra Sahayata,” they added.
