Man’s body exhumed after family alleges organ theft at hospital in Odisha

Police said an autopsy was carried out after the exhumation from the burial ground. (Executive)

Berhampur, Odisha:

He said the hospital authorities handed over the body to the family members of the deceased without conducting a post-mortem examination and did not inform the local police station in Cuttack about his death.

Family members of the deceased buried his body at the Tikarabaju cemetery under Baliguda police station limits in Kandhamal district on October 17, police said.

Baliguda police station in-charge Sushant Sahu said the post-mortem examination of the body was conducted at the district hospital after exhumation from the burial ground.

“We are also investigating the claim of the deceased’s son about organ theft. All details will be known only after receiving the autopsy report,” he said.

Meanwhile, a team of Bhubaneswar-Cuttack police visited a private hospital in Cuttack to investigate a complaint in Kandhamal.

Hospital officials denied the allegations and said doctors performed a decompressive craniectomy, a neurosurgical procedure.

“Our doctors also informed the family member about the patient’s condition during treatment,” Suzanta Behera, manager of a private hospital, told media persons in Cuttack.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling said he has directed the department to investigate the allegation.

If anyone is found guilty in this case, strong action will be taken, he added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)