Panchkula general hospital mortuary broken into, murder case papers stolen

In a strange case of theft, the file relating to the murder of Sector-16 woman resident Krishna Arora (75) on June 22 was stolen from the mortuary of General Hospital, Sector 6, Panchkula on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday. The file contained police papers, post-mortem report and a forwarding letter. Krishna was found murdered at her house last week.

In a strange case of theft, the file relating to the murder of Sector-16 woman resident Krishna Arora (75) on June 22 was stolen from the mortuary of General Hospital, Sector 6, Panchkula on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday. The file contained police papers, post-mortem report and a forwarding letter. Krishna was found murdered at her house last week.

The theft came to light on Sunday morning when the attendant found the main lock to the mortuary broken. The locks of two almirahs had also been broken.

Then, Dr Sunil Gambhir, forensic expert at General Hospital, Sector 6, Panchkula, was called in to check what was stolen.

“A file was stolen in addition to packets of gloves and masks. Packing material for samples has also been taken away. The seals of the institute have not been stolen. Samples from bodies that were yet to be tested have also not been touched,” said Dr Gambhir.

There is CCTV camera outside the mortuary, but the police were yet to receive footage from it.

Gambhir added that chambers were found open. “The bodies that the thieves touched were those whose post-mortem had been carried out and these did not have any belongings.”

General Hospital principal medical officer Dr Veena Singh also arrived at the hospital. “We have told the contractor (from whom security personnel are employed at the hospital) to be careful otherwise we will issue notice to him,” Dr Veena said, adding that a first-information report (FIR) had been registered.

She claimed that previously too, the battery of a generator outside the MRI room had also been stolen and they had then decided to install cameras.

Meanwhile, after the episode, Dr Gambhir has sent his recommendations for putting up a flood light, security guard and an extra CCTV camera.

“Though, it is not clear whether the thief took away the file intentionally or by chance. Other things are also missing,” said ACP Mukesh Kumar.