A FRESH controversy erupted on Tuesday morning about where the charred and mutilated bodies of Meerut victims had gone.
A photographer had taken a picture of a pile of charred bodies inside a PAC truck, minutes after the fire broke out in Victoria Park.
The photograph was shown to officials during a Press briefing on Monday. Officials had no answer to questions about these bodies.
The DM admitted to Hindustan Times that he did not know much about the matter, since he took charge four days after the tragedy.
“It may be a point of investigation,” he said, adding that the bodies were handed over to the relatives only after unanimous approval of public representatives, family members and others present at the mortuary.The point of controversy was that the bodies in the mortuary were all charred, but intact and hence they were identified . But the bodies shown in the picture were mutilated. Where did they go? Senior superintendent of police Navniet Sekera admitted knowledge of eight bodies shown in the photograph.
He claimed that these bodies were taken to the mortuary by truck driver Naresh Baliyan. He accepted a few of them could have been mutilated, but denied they were disposed of secretly.
{{/usCountry}}He claimed that these bodies were taken to the mortuary by truck driver Naresh Baliyan. He accepted a few of them could have been mutilated, but denied they were disposed of secretly.
{{/usCountry}}The SSP said photographs of the tragedy were being examined in a bid to clear the air. He, however, accepted that like other issues, controversies regarding the bodies were part of the investigation.
“We are also trying to recover four missing persons,” said the SSP, appealing to people not to lend an ear to rumours.
Initially, it was said over 100 people were killed in the blaze on April 10. However, later, the official toll was put at 46.