The city police have started recording all the details of unclaimed bodies they stumble upon within city limits. Of late, there have been several instances of murder cases being solved due to data received from the missing persons bureau, the most recent instance pertaining to serial killer Mohan Kumar of Bantwal.
According to police, the bodies of three women killed by Kumar were classified as unclaimed/unidentified in their records. It was only after the Dakshina Kannada police laid their hands on the serial killer that he confessed to killing the three, and many others, through cyanide pills. Kumar’s arrest helped solve many a murder case that, until then, stood no chance of resurrection.
The city police had recently set up an unclaimed body databank attached to the missing persons bureau. “The trouble is – it is difficult for us to store the data and then retrieve it at a later stage. Our success rate will depend on proper photographs and correct descriptions of the unclaimed body,” an officer said.
The data is collected from police stations in the city and then fed into the computer for future reference. Stating that DNA profiling of deceased persons will further help in investigations, the officer said, “We already have a full-fledged DNA laboratory at the Forensic Science Laboratory at Madiwala. If they assist us, it will go a long way in helping families and loved ones who keep waiting in the belief that their beloved ones will return home one day. When there seems to be no other hope, DNA details can help us trace them in the unclaimed body databank.”
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