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Navi Mumbai Morgue Worker Sacked After Viral Bribe Demand

The swift dismissal prompted protests, highlighting municipal failures to establish clear post-mortem handling protocols.

Image
Head mortician Jordi Fernandez prepares a coffin before placing the body of a COVID-19 victim in an underground parking garage turned into a morgue at the Collserola funeral home in Barcelona, Spain on April 14, 2020. Since a state of emergency was declared in the country, funeral homes must follow strict measures to avoid further contagion, stripping Fernandez of his normal duties and taking away the last chance families had of seeing their loved ones before laying them to rest. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana) (AP)

Overview

  • A 32-year-old contractual worker was caught on camera demanding a ₹2,000 bribe from the family of a 27-year-old Kanpur woman to wrap her body after a June 16 post-mortem.
  • The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation directed the contractor to terminate the morgue worker on June 17 following widespread circulation of the video.
  • Maharashtra Navnirman Sena activists staged a protest at the Vashi hospital, garlanding superintendent Dr. Rajesh Mhatre with cloth and demanding an apology to the grieving family.
  • The hospital’s reliance on a third-party contractor for mechanical cleaning and mortuary tasks has raised questions about oversight and staff accountability.
  • Activists and officials have called for transparent, standardized guidelines for handling deceased bodies in civic hospitals to prevent future abuses.