Babushahi Special: Like Khalra's case, Bathinda's missing bodies mystery remains unresolved
By Ashok Verma
Bathinda (Punjab), July 15: As the release of Diljit Dosanjh’s film Sutlej, based on the life and work of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, has once again revived public debate over Punjab’s dark chapter of alleged fake encounters and disappearances, another unresolved mystery continues to haunt Bathinda—the disappearance and alleged improper cremation of unidentified bodies.
Nearly 15 years ago, Youth Welfare Society president Sonu Maheshwari sought to uncover the truth through a series of Right to Information (RTI) applications filed with the Railway Police and the Civil Hospital, Bathinda. However, the investigation failed to reach a conclusion amid what he described as official indifference and conflicting records maintained by government departments.
The RTI documents raised serious questions over whether several unidentified bodies recovered from railway tracks and canals were cremated without mandatory postmortem examinations, a legal requirement in cases involving unidentified persons.
RTI Revealed Contradictory Records
According to RTI replies obtained by Maheshwari, the records maintained by the Railway Police and the Civil Hospital did not match in several cases.
The Railway Police claimed that postmortems had been conducted on all unidentified bodies recovered from railway tracks. However, Civil Hospital records reflected significantly fewer postmortem examinations, creating uncertainty over the fate of several bodies.
For instance, the RTI records showed:
- In February 2009, three unidentified bodies were recovered, while only two postmortems were recorded.
- In June 2009, eight bodies were recovered but only four postmortems were documented.
- In July 2009, six bodies were recovered, whereas records showed only five postmortems.
- In October 2009, three bodies were recovered, but only one postmortem was recorded.
- In January 2010, two bodies were recovered while only one postmortem was reflected in hospital records.
Between January 1, 2007, and May 31, 2010, the Railway Police reported recovering 135 unidentified bodies from railway tracks. However, corresponding hospital records reportedly did not fully corroborate those claims.
Missing Records Raise Further Questions
The controversy deepened when the Civil Hospital admitted through RTI that postmortem records from January 1, 1991, to December 31, 1998, were unavailable—a period that coincided with Punjab’s militancy era, when allegations of fake encounters and enforced disappearances had drawn national and international attention.
The missing records have continued to fuel speculation, though no conclusive findings have ever been made public.
Human Rights Commission and High Court Intervention
The matter was examined following directions from the Punjab State Human Rights Commission, while an IAS officer reportedly conducted an administrative inquiry and recommended action against certain officials and an organisation allegedly linked to the cremation of unidentified bodies.
When no significant action followed, the issue reached the Punjab and Haryana High Court through a writ petition.
During the proceedings, the petitioner expressed concern that unidentified bodies may have been cremated without postmortems, raising the possibility of administrative lapses or other irregularities. The High Court subsequently directed the Punjab Government to constitute an independent investigation team, including senior police officers, and submit its findings within two months.
However, the outcome of that inquiry has never been publicly disclosed, and the issue gradually faded from public attention.
Questions That Still Remain
The controversy first surfaced publicly on June 10, 2010, when the Youth Welfare Society alleged that an unidentified body had been cremated at a Bathinda crematorium without undergoing a postmortem. Officials maintained that the body had been mistakenly handed over for cremation.
That incident prompted Maheshwari to pursue the matter through RTI, leading to the discovery of discrepancies in official records.
Legal experts say postmortem examinations of unidentified bodies are mandatory under established procedures, as they help determine the cause of death and preserve evidence in case of foul play. Any deviation from these procedures warrants thorough investigation.
With renewed public attention on Punjab’s history of disappearances following the release of Sutlej, questions surrounding the fate of unidentified bodies in Bathinda remain unanswered, leaving one of the state’s lesser-known controversies unresolved even after more than a decade.