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Ludhiana takes lead in claims on deceased tracking portal
The portal was launched on September 2 with the objective of bridging a crucial gap faced by families whose loved ones go missing and who often remain dependent on police investigations for information
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Punjab’s digital ‘Pehchaan’ portal has begun showing early results just one month after its launch. The initiative, designed to help identify unclaimed and unidentified bodies in government mortuaries, has already prompted 21 claims from families searching for missing relatives. Among these, Ludhiana district has recorded the highest response, accounting for 12 of the claims.
The portal was launched on September 2 with the objective of bridging a crucial gap faced by families whose loved ones go missing and who often remain dependent on police investigations for information. In cases where a missing person dies without being identified, relatives may remain unaware of the death, while the body can eventually be classified as unidentified and subjected to cremation according to procedure.
Dr Charan Kamal Singh, assistant director, Medico Legal Services, Punjab, said photographs and details of 460 unidentified bodies had so far been uploaded on the portal and 21 claims had been initiated within a month. The portal, available through the health department’s website, provides families with visual and physical details that can help establish identity. Besides photographs, information such as clothing, age, height, tattoos, birthmarks, deformities and other permanent identification marks is uploaded.
“This can provide another avenue to families who have been searching for their missing relatives,” Dr Singh said, adding that the initiative could also assist police in establishing the identity of unidentified bodies.
The importance of such a system is underlined by the number of unidentified and unclaimed bodies reported in Punjab every year. Recent reports have estimated that around 5,000 to 6,000 bodies annually are classified as unknown or unclaimed in the state, with Amritsar, Jalandhar and Ludhiana accounting for a substantial share.
The portal is intended to make the identification process less dependent on families physically visiting police stations, hospitals and mortuaries. People can search the available records and compare the uploaded details with those of missing relatives. Dr Singh said greater participation by the police would make the system more effective, as investigating officers dealing with missing-person cases could also use the database to cross-check unidentified bodies.
The initiative comes at a time when cases involving mistaken identification of unidentified bodies have highlighted the need for stronger mechanisms.
In one recent Punjab case, a family cremated a body believing it was that of their missing son, only to later discover that the man was alive and lodged in Kapurthala jail.
