Kolkata: After pleading with the morgue and the police station since early-Feb to hand over his live-in partner's body, a 47-year-old man from Jheel Road in Jadavpur finally approached the Calcutta High Court. The HC on Monday directed that the body be handed over to the man within 48 hours for last rites.
The couple lived together for 12 years. The woman (36) reportedly suffered abdominal pain around 6 am on Feb 3 and was declared brought dead at KPC Medical College and Hospital at 7:46 am. The hospital informed the Jadavpur police station about the death. Cops from the Jadavpur police asked their counterparts at Garfa police station to inquire about the relationship between the two as their home fell under their jurisdiction.
The woman's body was sent to the Kantapukur morgue at Mominpore for autopsy and her partner was told that he could not be given the body without the police inquiry report. As the woman's parents had passed away when she was 19, no other claimant was found.
When the body was not handed to him even after weeks, the man moved the HC. According to the writ petition, he had on Feb 12 made a representation to the morgue that was forwarded to the Garfa PS OC, requesting to provide the report to the morgue. He then wrote to both Jadavpur and Garfa police stations. He also wrote to the KMC chief municipal health officer on Feb 14. Lastly, on Feb 24, he submitted a detailed demand to the authorities, praying for the release of the body.
The single bench of Justice Tirthankar Ghosh took into account the inquiry report by Garfa PS SI and his communication to the Jadavpur OC. The inquiry report stated the deceased had been living with the petitioner for the past few years and that there was no foul play in her death.