‘Missing’ woman found dead in hospital toilet

An 82-year-old woman from Bhusaval, who went missing from Jalgaon Civil Hospital on June 2, was found dead inside the toilet of the hospital on Wednesday morning.

An 82-year-old woman from Bhusaval, who went missing from Jalgaon Civil Hospital on June 2, was found dead inside the toilet of the hospital on Wednesday morning.

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The woman, who stayed with her daughter-in-law in Bhusaval, had tested positive for Covid-19 on May 27 and was first admitted to a railway hospital at Bhusaval by her nephew and relative. “Her daughter-in-law died two weeks ago due to the virus, while her son is still in quarantine at Nashik. After her condition deteriorated, she was shifted to Jalgaon Civil Hospital on June 1,” said Akbar Patel, inspector at Zillapeth police station.

“On June 2, she left her bed without informing the nurse or hospital staff. The family told us she was missing, after which we registered a missing person’s complaint on June 6. On Wednesday morning, a ward boy of JCH found her partially decomposed body inside the toilet. The family was informed and they identified her.”

The body was handed over to the local authority and the last rites were conducted in the presence of her grandson. In a video message, her distraught grandson has appealed to chief minister Uddhav Thackeray to order a probe into the incident, reported IANS. Kishor Pawar, assistant police inspector at Zillapeth police, said: “We have filed an accidental death report and are questioning the hospital staff. We are also checking the footage obtained from the CCTV cameras on the hospital premises.”

Gulabrao Patil, guardian minister of Jalgaon, said the guilty will be punished. “I have complained about the incident to deputy chief minister [Ajit Pawar] and will also complain to chief minister Uddhav Thackeray. The guilty will have to face action,” he said.