Missing incidents in Mumbai dip in 2 years

The Mumbai Government Railway Police have stated that the number of unclaimed bodies found on the Mumbai railway premises, has dipped by 20% in the past two years. Last year, 1,111 bodies were left unclaimed of the total 3,458 as compared to 1,167 from 3,452 in 2011, but in 2010, the figure went up to 1,337 of the total 3,710. 

According to the Mumbai Railway Police, the bodies including those of beggars and drug addicts are disposed of by the railway police. Each year thousands migrate to Mumbai, with many of them settling near religious places or on railway premises. These temporary settlers more often than not face malnutrition, starvation or some illnesses. 

Mumbai GRP commissioner Prabhat Kumar had launched a website shodh.gov.in on July 26, 2012, to help establish the identity of railway accident victims. “People can search for missing persons by giving their descriptions,” said a senior police officer.

The relatives of the victim, can identify from 3,238 unidentified bodies that includes 514 women, from July 26, 2012, to November 25, 2013. At the same time, the website also helps to identify 137 including 88 missing women from the railway premises and re-unite them with their families,” he said.

“The website has really helped the public to identify their relatives injured in railway accidents,” said Sameer Zaveri, railway activist, who had filed a PIL in the Bombay high court in 2008, urging railway to start a website to provide information regarding the identity of the accident victims.