Thursday, July 21 2005 17:30 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Thiruvananthapuram: In a case of 'mistaken identity,' the body of a dead prisoner was handed over to wrong relatives who received it and cremated thinking it was their kin.

The startling mess-up that happened at the Poojappura Central Prison here 10 days back, came to light yesterday (July 20, 2005) when the 'dead' prisoner got wind of his funeral rites' having been performed by relatives through another inmate in the jail.

The strange fate was met by Rajesh of Harippad in Alappuzha district, who as 'pronounced dead' by the jail authorities in place of Anil Kumar, a fellow-prisoner who died of heart attack at the Medical College Hospital, where he was rushed in an emergency on July 9, 2005.

The error was caused by the near-similarity in the number given to prisoners. While Rajesh's number was 7273, that of Anil Kumar was 7372.

Prison warders gave Rajesh's number when Anil Kumar was taken to hospital with chest pain.

According to prison sources, the error went on record and the authorities sent a telegram to Rajesh's relatives asking them to come and receive the body which was kept at the mortuary after post-mortem. Rajesh's uncle and neighbours took the body, which was said to be not in an identifiable condition after post-mortem, to their home for cremation.

With the case getting exposed, both the families are in a state of shock. The issue also has a ticklish side to it as the dead prisoner was a Christian whose body would normally have been buried instead of being cremated.