March 26, 2025: In a bizarre turn of events, a young man was detained at Bhangagarh Police Station after mistakenly taking the wrong dead body from Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH). The man, identified as Jagadish Das from Kotalabarkuchi, Nalbari, had gone to the hospital to collect the body of his deceased uncle, Raju Das.
Raju Das, who had been undergoing treatment at GMCH for an illness, passed away on the same morning as another patient, Nirmal Das from Bhawanipur, Barpeta. Nirmal had been admitted to the hospital after suffering injuries in an accident under the jurisdiction of Garchuk Police Station. Both men passed away around the same time, and their post-mortem examinations were conducted simultaneously.
Following the completion of formal procedures, Jagadish collected a body from the police, assuming it to be his uncle's. However, as he was transporting the body home, he received a call from Bhangagarh Police, informing him that he had mistakenly taken the body of Nirmal Das instead.
Realizing the mix-up, Jagadish immediately returned to the police station with the body. Upon verification, it was confirmed that he had indeed taken the wrong body. While Nirmal Das's family has not filed any complaint yet, the police have taken Jagadish into custody and may proceed with legal action.
As per sources, even if Jagadish is arrested, he is likely to be granted bail from the police station itself. The incident has raised concerns over the handling of bodies in hospitals and the need for stricter identification protocols to avoid such mistakes in the future.