(1)If a person dies in a hospital or in prison and his body is not claimed by any of his near relatives or personal friends within such time as may be prescribed, the authority in charge of such hospital or prison shall, with the least practicable delay, report the fact to the authorised officer, and the said officer shall take possession of the unclaimed body and except in the case referred to in sub-section (3) hand it over to the authority in charge of a teaching medical institution, if it is required by the authority for the purpose of conducting anatomical examination and dissection.
