UNNAO (UP):
In a curious case, over 100 bodies have been fished out from river Ganga in this area of Uttar Pradesh over the past two days, prompting the Centre to rush a team of officials to enquire the reason behind it.
While about 30 bodies were recovered yesterday, 70 more were fished out today.
“Around 100 bodies have been taken out from the river near Pariyar ghat in Safipur area (of Unnao district),” Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) A Satish Ganesh told reporters.
With most of the bodies mutilated, DNA sampling is being used to identify the bodies.
A team of 10 doctors have taken the DNA samples of 80 bodies to ascertain their identities, while it was not possible to take samples from others as they were badly decomposed, Ganesh said.
As the curiosity was brewing over the mysterious recoveries, Ganesh said these were bodies ostensibly of unmarried girls and children which were disposed off in the river by their kin as part of last rites.
The bodies surfaced after water receded near Pariyar Ghat, he said.
“During preliminary investigation, local residents informed that instead of cremating the bodies of unmarried girls they are set adrift in the Ganga river,” the IG said.
“Most of the bodies were badly mutilated so it was difficult to ascertain their gender,” he said.
He said 45 villages have been identified where people traditionally cremate their kins at Pariyar ghat.
“Heads of these villages have been asked to provide the list of those, who had died in the last six months to one year and later cremated at the ghat,” he said, adding the samples of all such families would be taken and matched with those of the bodies.
The IG said that since the bodies found have already been ritually cremated, it has been decided in consultation with the local representatives that a mass cremation will be held and joint prayers conducted later. (AGENCIES)
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