A shocking incident has been reported in Haridwar district of Uttarakhand where a corpse stored in the mortuary of the district hospital was allegedly found to have been gnawed by rats, as reported by news agency PTI citing officials.
Family members of the deceased claimed that despite the body being kept in the hospital's deep freezer, several of the corpse's organs were found to have been nibbled on. One relative specifically claimed that the deep freezer has a significant hole, which allowed rats to enter and damage the body.
Haridwar district hospital’s Assistant Superintendent, Ranveer Kumar, admitted that the incident had taken place. He explained that the doors of two or three deep freezers in the mortuary are currently damaged, and that this "unfortunate incident" occurred due to the negligence of the agency contracted for their repair.
He added that action will be taken against the responsible agency.
Details of the Deceased
According to the family, Lakhan Kumar (36), a resident of Haridwar and manager of a local dharmshala (guesthouse), died of a cardiac arrest on Friday. His body was then placed in the district hospital's mortuary.
The family members reported that when they subsequently viewed the body, they found deep wounds on the corpse's eyes, nose, ears, navel, and head. They also asserted that most of the freezers in the mortuary are currently in a dilapidated condition.
4-year-old boy injured in leopard attack in Pauri
In a separate incident, a four-year-old boy was injured after a leopard attacked him in Uttarakhand's Pauri district on Tuesday, as reported by PTI.
Anmol was returning home in Dewar village from an Anganwadi with his mother and an Asha worker when the leopard suddenly pounced on the 4-year-old boy, they said.
However, the leopard fled after Anmol’s mother, the Asha worker, and locals raised an alarm. The child suffered head injuries in the attack and was rushed to the district hospital, from where he was discharged after treatment.
The incident triggered panic in the area, with the villagers demanding that the forest department capture the leopard.
Sub-Divisional Forest Officer Ayesha Bisht said patrolling will be intensified in the area.
