5. Unclaimed body in hospitals, prisons and public places how to be dealt with.
(1)Where a person under treatment in a hospital established or maintained by, or vesting in 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 who shall hand over the unclaimed body to the authorities in charge of an approved institution for the purpose of conducting post mortem or anatomical examination or for any therapeutic purpose, or for dissections, surgical operation or research work.(2)Where a person dies in a hospital other than a hospital referred to in Sub-section (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 who shall hand over the unclaimed body to the authorities in charge of an approved institution for any of the purposes specified in Sub-section (1).(3)When a person having no permanent place of residence in the areas where his death has taken place dies in any public place in such area and his body is unclaimed, the Authorised Officer of that area shall take possession of such body and hand it over to the authorities in charge of an approved institution for any of the purposes specified in Sub-section (1).(4)Where there is any doubt regarding the cause of death or where the Authorised Officer considers it for any reason whatsoever 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, 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 purposes specified in Sub-section (1) it shall be disposed of in the prescribed manner.(6)When a post mortem or anatomical examination or dissection or surgical operation or any research work on the unclaimed body is over, the remains thereof, if any, shall be disposed of in the prescribed manner.
