NEW DELHI: In May, a massive storm hit Delhi, and the display board at the entrance of Sabzi Mandi mortuary—the city's oldest—broke off and fell onto the main road. Seven months on, the board is yet to be reinstalled, and there are no other markers; people visiting the mortuary for the first time often cannot find it.
But for the staff here, this is the least of their problems given that the facility is functioning without essentials, such as plastic aprons, body bags, sealing wax, viscera jars, and boxes, among other items.
Now, these staffers either shell out personal money for these essentials, use makeshift substitutes, or are dependent on the largesse of others, usually police, to carry out their mandate of conducting autopsies.
A long history of neglect Set up in 1960, the Sabzi Mandi mortuary is attached to the government's Aruna Asaf Ali Hospital, conducts 15-20 post-mortem examinations a day, and has a capacity to store 30 bodies at a time.
The morgue has been at the centre of several high-profile cases—the autopsy of at least 400 people killed in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots were carried out at this facility, as was the autopsy of Naina Sahni in the 1995 "tandoor murder" case.
However, a lack of political will and bureaucratic oversight has led to the facility operating without even needles to sew bodies back after a post-mortem examination is conducted.
Mortuary officials said they are dependent on the hospital for supplies, and have written to them multiple times over the past two years, but to no avail.
This story is from the December 23, 2024 edition of Hindustan Times Haryana.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the December 23, 2024 edition of Hindustan Times Haryana.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Akash Deep keeping it simple, with doses of Bumrah wisdom
It's when you watch the India nets from a vantage point that you truly realise how different a ball bowled at the same pace and place can be.
Tiger and Charlie hit five straight birdies, share lead
Tiger Woods and 15-year-old son Charlie ran off five straight birdies on the back nine for a 13-under 59 in the scramble format, giving them a share of the lead in the PNC Championship in Woods' first competition since back surgery in September.
Big win for Liverpool, Everton hold Chelsea
Liverpool extended their lead at the top of the Premier League with a dominant but chaotic 6-3 win at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday thanks to doubles from Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah.
Smriti, Renuka sparkle as India crush WI by 211 runs
The opener's 91 helps pile on the runs in 1st ODI before Renuka's fifer bundles out WI
Lenders auction more gold as Reserve Bank steps up scrutiny
Companies lending against gold are auctioning the collateral in higher quantities to recover stressed loans, at a time of rising regulatory scrutiny over the sector.
DAMANI NIXES BAT PICK FOR CHAIR OF VST INDUSTRIES
Top billionaire investor and D-Mart promoter Radhakishan Damani opposed the candidate for chairmanship proposed by British American Tobacco (BAT) for its Indian unit VST Industries Ltd, leading to his rejection at a shareholder vote, according to voting disclosures and an executive privy to the development.
GOVT TO INFUSE ₹500 CR IN IFCI TO IMPROVE ITS FINANCIAL HEALTH
The government has decided to infuse ₹500 crore capital in state-owned IFCI to improve its financial health ahead of the company's proposed restructuring and consolidation into a group.
Dozen auto firms set to be excluded from PLI scheme
These automobile companies have not been able to start investing as planned
Apex auto tester looks to accelerate to green lane
India's primary vehicle research and testing body plans to expand facilities that are focused on so-called new energy vehicles, seeking to keep pace with the government's rapidly accelerating green mobility drive.
Trudeau under fire; liberals eye Freeland
Pressure continues to mount on Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to quit, even as a movement is afoot within the ruling Liberal Party caucus for him to be replaced by Chrystia Freeland, who was Deputy PM and Finance Minister till her bombshell resignation, on Monday.