Patna: The Tata Main Hospital (TMH) in the steel city of Jamshedpur has been asked to explain why it did not report to the police the alleged removal of eyes from two corpses in its mortuary.

The hospital was served the notice by East Singhbhum district Deputy Commissioner Nidhi Khare under whose jurisdiction the hospital falls.

The police, meanwhile, have begun an independent probe into the incident. Jitendra Mishra, deputy superintendent of police, who is investigating the case, said no breakthrough had yet been achieved though several persons have already been questioned at the hospital.

"If we get any evidence which makes the case cognizable, we will file a case against the authorities of the hospital because every case has to be reported to the police," Superintendent of Police A.K. Verma said.

G.K. Lath, general manager of medical services of Tata Steel, admitted during a press conference that the cornea of the right eye had been removed from the body of 89-year-old Shailendra Kumar Biswas. The cornea of the left eye too was found to be detached. Lath said a sharp weapon might have been used to remove the corneas. He also admitted that the left eye of 49-year-old B. Dutta was damaged in the morgue after the body was moved there from the hospital.

Authorities are conducting an independent inquiry into the two incidents. They suspect the hospital staff could be involved. "It may have been done to tarnish the image of TMH which has decided to expand its services," Tata Steel spokesman Sanjoy Singh said.

He denied the company was concealing information about the two cases. He said a press conference had been called immediately after the second incident was detected. The hospital, he said, would soon reply to the notice sent by the district administration.