The Delhi High Court today rapped the police for its practice of waiting 72 hours, as per a standing order of the Delhi Police Commissioner, to carry out post-mortem of unidentified bodies.
The practice came to light after a news report said police was yet to carry out a post-mortem of an unidentified woman found dead near Shanti Van area here two days back.
Pulling up the police for the delay, the high court said the agency's decision to wait for 72 hours would have led to loss of valuable medical and forensic evidence.
Taking suo motu cognisance of the news report which said that according to norms if the body was not identified after 73 hours it would be cremated without an autopsy, a bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar asked the Delhi Police which law permits it to wait for so long without carrying out a post-mortem.
Senior police officers, including an Additional DCP, who were present in court said there was a September 2010 standing order of the Commissioner of Police which said that post-mortem of unidentified bodies can be conducted only after 72 hours.
Disapproving the practice and calling it unfortunate, the bench said it "fails to see how non-identification of a body can interdict investigation, especially in cases of murder or where sexual assault is suspected", as in the instant case.
It also said,"How can you rely on a standing order which is contrary to the criminal procedure code?"
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