Section 4: Unclaimed bodies to be used for therapeutic purposes or anatomical examination

(1) Where a person under treatment in a hospital, whether established by or vesting in or maintained by the State Government or any local authority, dies in such hospital and his body is unclaimed, the authorities in-charge of such hospital shall, with the least practicable delay, report the fact to the Authorised Officer and, thereupon, if shall be lawful for such officer to take possession of the unclaimed body and hand it over to the authorities in-charge of a teaching medical institution for therapeutic purpose or for the purpose of conducting post- mortem or anatomical examination and dissection. (2) Where a person dies at a hospital other than a hospital referred to in sub-section (1), or in a prison and his body is unclaimed, authorities in-charge of such hospital or prison, shall, with the least practicable delay, report the possession of the unclaimed body and hand it over to authorities in-charge of a teaching medical institution for the purpose specified in sub-section (1). (3) Where a person dies in any public place in an area in which he had a permanent place of residence and his body is not claimed by any of his near relatives or by any person of his caste, creed or religion, the authorized officer shall take possession of the unclaimed body and shall hand it over to the authorities in-charge of a teaching medical institution for the purpose specified in sub-section(1). (4) When there is any doubt regarding the cause of death or when for any other reason the authorized officer considers it expedient so to do, he shall forward the unclaimed body to the Police Officer referred to in Section 174 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973. (5) Where any unclaimed by taken possession of by the authorized officer under this section is not required by the authority in-charge of a teaching medical institution for the purpose specified in sub section (1), it shall be disposed of in such manner as may be prescribed. (6) During the period within which claim may be raised against treating the body of a deceased person as unclaimed body, the authorized officer shall arrange for the preservation of the body of such person from decay in such manner as may be prescribed