Watch: Protests at Sion hospital as body handed over to wrong family, cremated

Following his death, Ankush Sarvade's body was sent for a postmortem examination. However, when the grieving family went back to the mortuary on Sunday evening, they were shown the body of a much older man instead.

Protests broke out at Sion hospital on Sunday after the body of a 28-year-old man was handed over to the wrong family and later cremated.

The deceased, Dharavi resident Ankush Sarvade (28), was admitted to the hospital on August 28 after he was injured in an accident on the Eastern Freeway. Sarvade’s family said that doctors at the hospital operated on a head injury soon after.

Sarvade’s relative, Sanjana Chavan, said the hospital informed her Saturday that the patient’s health had deteriorated. “When we went to the hospital around 7.30 am, we were told that my brother had passed away,” she said.

Following his death, Sarvade’s body was sent for a postmortem examination. However, when the grieving family went back to the mortuary on Sunday evening, they were shown the body of a much older man instead.

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“The body was of a man in his 50s. When we asked for Ankush’s body, hospital authorities told us that it was missing. After some time, we were told that the body was mistakenly given to another family and has already been cremated,” Chavan said.

She added that there were also stitches above Sarvade’s right kidney. “The hospital authorities need to explain why they operated on his kidney when he was hurt on the head,” Chavan said.

As the family appealed to Sion Koliwada MLA Tamil Selvan for help, the legislator met Sion hospital Dean Dr Mohan Joshi and senior police officers, demanding that those responsible for the mix-up be identified and suspended.

“How can the hospital hand over a body to some other family instead to the blood relatives of the deceased? We will meet the BMC commissioner on Monday and demand an inquiry into the functioning of the hospital,” Selvan said.

Dyaneshwar Chavan, Additional Commissioner of Police (Central region), told Sarvade’s family late Sunday that the police would initiate an inquiry once they submit a written complaint.