5. Unclaimed bodies in hospitals, prisons and public places how to be dealt with.
(1)Where a person under treatment in a hospital whether established by or vesting in or maintained by the State Government or any local authority, dies in such hospital and his body is unclaimed, the authorities in charge of such hospital shall with the least practicable delay report the fact to the authorised officer and thereupon it shall be lawful for such officer to take possession of the unclaimed body and hand it over to the authority in charge of an approved institution for the purpose of conducting post-mortem examination or anatomical dissection for practising operative surgery.(2)Where a person dies at a hospital other than a hospital referred to in subsection (1) or in a prison and his body is unclaimed the authorities in charge of such hospital or prison shall with the least practicable delay report the fact to the authorised officer and thereupon it shall be lawful for such officer to take possession of the unclaimed body and hand it over to the authority in charge of an approved institution, for the purpose specified in sub-section (1).(3)Where a person, having no permanent place of residence in the area where his death has taken place, dies in any public place in such area and his body is unclaimed, it shall be lawful for the authorised officer to take possession of the unclaimed body and hand it over to the authority in charge of an approved institution for the purpose specified in sub-section (1).(4)When there is any doubt regarding the cause of death or when for any reason the authorised officer considers it expedient so to do he shall forward the unclaimed body to the police officer referred to in Section 174 of the [Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898 (V of 1898)] [Now, Criminal Procedure Code, 1973.].(5)Where any unclaimed body taken possession of by the authorised officer under this section is not required by the authority in charge of an approved institution for the purpose specified in sub-section (1), it shall be disposed of in such manner as may be prescribed.(6)When post-mortem examination or anatomical dissection of, or practice of operative surgery on, an unclaimed body is over, remains thereof, if any, shall be disposed of in the prescribed manner.
