Unclaimed Skeleton in Etawah Mortuary: DNA test failed to confirm woman’s identity, state govt tells HC
The identity of the body is disputed, with a family claiming that the deceased person is their missing daughter, Rita.
PRAYAGRAJ In the case concerning the skeletal remains of a woman that have been stored in an Etawah mortuary for the past three years, the state government informed the Allahabad High Court on Tuesday that the DNA test conducted on the skeleton did not match the claims made by individuals asserting it to be the body of their daughter, Rita.
It was further disclosed that the claim was only made after the discovery of the skeleton of an unidentified body. This assertion was primarily based on the fact that some clothing found near the remains was believed to belong to their daughter.
However, the additional advocate general (AAG), Manish Goyal, informed the court that the DNA test results did not confirm the claimants as the biological parents of the skeleton. Following a brief deliberation, a division bench, consisting of Chief Justice Pritinker Diwaker and Justice Ajay Bhanot, scheduled further proceedings for November 20, 2023.
Previously, on October 26, 2023, the court, in a suo moto action, had requested the state government to provide comprehensive information on the matter. Acting on its own initiative, the court had observed on October 26 that “The newspaper report reveals that the skeletal remains of a woman have been stored in an Etawah morgue for the past three years.
The identity of the body is disputed, with a family claiming that the deceased person is their missing daughter, Rita. According to the newspaper, the DNA report does not provide a definitive conclusion.”
