Unclaimed body, a diplomatic issue: No takers for foreigner’s corpse in Gurgaon morgue

NEW DELHI: It’s as good as a legal thriller that could be titled ‘The Mystery of the Unclaimed Body.’ The elements are all there – the body of a foreigner, unresponsive family members, an untraceable woman and a hospital taking legal recourse to resolve the matter.

For three months now, a private hospital in Gurgaon has been left with the body of a Nigerian national in its mortuary, waiting for someone to claim it. While the dead man’s family members in Nigeria haven’t responded to the hospital’s requests, various local authorities have been passing the buck.

Left with no option, the hospital has approached court – the first case of its kind -- seeking removal of the body so that it can be disposed of “as per law.” In its petition, Paras Healthcare Pvt asked the Punjab and Haryana High Court to direct the authorities to shift the body to the Civil Hospital in Gurgaon.

The hospital contended that government authorities are statutorily liable to take care of unclaimed bodies and dispose of them. The hospital alleged that the authorities are turning a blind eye on the matter involving a foreign national.

Emeka Godwin from Nigeria, who had visited India on a medical visa, was admitted to the hospital by a female friend on March 7 in a very critical condition. Godwin had suffered a kidney failure and had earlier been treated at other hospitals. He died on March 31, after which his friend stopped responding on the phone number she had given.

The hospital has written to the dead man’s family members to collect the body and to the Nigerian High Commission, but to no avail. The high commission coordinator contacted the family in Nigeria and even after follow-ups, no one has come forward to claim the body, the petition reads.

A request to the Gurgaon Police to remove the body to the Civil Hospital was referred to the deputy commissioner who, as alleged by the hospital, “unnecessarily” referred the matter to the district and sessions judge.

The request then reached the Foreigners Registration Office, which asked the hospital to approach the Ministry of External Affairs. Although the ministry has intervened, a solution is far from sight.

Taking note of the contentions, the high court issued notices to all the respondents including the ministry, Gurgaon Pol ice and the Foreigners Registration Office. The counsel for the ministry verbally informed the court that the matter had been taken up with the Nigerian High Commission and its response is awaited.

The Foreigners Registration Office said that “generally disposal of a dead body of a foreigner in India is to be handled in association with the embassy and MEA.” It submitted that since the matter does not fall under its jurisdiction its name should be deleted from the list of respondents.

Sources told ET that the authorities are even in a fix about whether to call the body unclaimed because the family members in Nigeria are known but have not responded.

The private hospital submitted that the condition of the body is deteriorating and embalming can only be done in the presence of and with the consent of a family member in a civil or government hospital.