Railway police initiative: Teeth to give identity to rly’s unknown dead

CHENNAI: The Government Railway Police (GRP) in Chennai will preserve teeth extracted from unclaimed bodies found on railway premises, as DNA from the teeth will be used for identifying the dead at any point anyone comes forward to claim bodies.

The initiative follows a Madras High Court case, which highlighted issues around the disposal of unclaimed bodies and their identity verification. "An NGO also advocated burial over cremation in such cases to facilitate potential exhumation," explained GRP superintendent of police, I Easwaran, who spearheaded the project. "This prompted us to consider preserving teeth – they are small, easy to store, and a reliable source of DNA," he noted.

"Hence, DNA from a tooth, along with visual identification, will help confirm future claims," Easwaran added.

Statistics, too, support the need for DNA storage: The Tamil Nadu railway police recorded 488 unclaimed bodies in 2022 and 619 in 2023. While the number dropped to 477 in 2024, 267 unclaimed bodies have already been recorded in the first half of 2025. Nearly one-third of bodies handled by authorities are unclaimed, many belonging to homeless individuals or beggars frequenting railway stations, and sometimes that of migrant workers.

Currently, unclaimed bodies are held in mortuaries for approximately one month, before burying them in jurisdictional grounds. The Railways provides Rs 2,000 for each burial.

While the DNA extraction programme started in Chennai a few months ago, there are plans to expand it statewide.

"Storing teeth and hair provides a simple yet effective method for identifying unclaimed bodies long-term," affirmed a city forensic expert.