CHENNAI: A body mix-up at the Government Stanley Medical College and Hospital has sparked an inquiry after the mortal remains of two teenage girls, who allegedly died by suicide in separate incidents, were mistakenly handed over to the wrong family. Hospital authorities said their preliminary inquiry indicates that the error occurred after one of the families wrongly identified the body.
The deceased were identified as Anushka (19), a resident of Padambakkam near Kavarapettai, and Priyadharshini (18) of Manali. Their bodies were brought to Stanley Hospital, which receives medico-legal cases from several north Chennai and neighbouring areas, including Manali, Minjur, Kodungaiyur, Korukkupet, Vyasarpadi and Kavarapettai, for post-mortem examination.
According to hospital authorities, both bodies were in a decomposed state. The girls were of a similar age, had comparable physical features and were dressed in salwar suits of the same colour, making visual identification difficult.
After the post-mortem, Anushka’s body was inadvertently handed over to Priyadharshini’s relatives after they identified it as that of their family member. The mistake surfaced only when the body was taken home and preparations for the last rites began. Shocked relatives immediately returned the body to the hospital, triggering tense moments and an argument with hospital staff before police stepped in to restore order.
Following fresh verification, Priyadharshini’s body was correctly identified and handed over to her family after completing the required formalities.
“The inquiry is on. Wrong identification by the girl’s father was the reason behind this, as per our preliminary investigation. Further investigation is under way now,” Dr A Aravind, Dean of Government Stanley Medical College and Hospital, told DT Next.
Hospital authorities said a detailed inquiry is in progress to establish the sequence of events, examine whether established identification protocols were followed, fix responsibility if any lapses are found, and ensure such incidents do not recur. in