Pune: Infant Found in Jar in Daund Was Preserved for Five Years, Police Register Case
Pune: Infant Found in Jar in Daund Was Preserved for Five Years, Police Register Case
The discovery of a male infant preserved in a jar in Daund, India, has revealed a disturbing case of ethical violations. The investigation revealed that the infant, delivered prematurely at 18-20 weeks, was not a recent case but had been stored for five years. A private hospital in Gopalwadi, Daund, had preserved the fetus in formalin solution and used it for student training at its nursing college. This practice, according to the district surgeon’s report to the health department, violated both health and biomedical laws. The Daund police have registered a case against the hospital for these violations.
A disturbing discovery was made in Daund on March 25, when multiple jars containing human remains were found discarded in the garbage. One jar held the body of a deceased infant, while others contained human body parts. This incident caused widespread outrage and prompted the Daund police to seize the jars and register a case against an unknown individual. Following the discovery, District Surgeon Dr. Nagnath Yampalle inspected the site and submitted his findings to Dr. Radhakishan Pawar, the Deputy Director of Health for the Pune Circle.
The report confirmed the gruesome contents of the jars: one contained an infant, while ten others held a variety of human organs. These included a breast, testicles, uterus, placenta, and ovarian cysts. The health department launched an investigation into the origin of these remains, focusing on Bhangaale Hospital in Gopalwadi. Hospital staff admitted that the organs had been surgically removed and preserved.
The investigation revealed a further disturbing detail. A woman who visited Bhangaale Hospital on August 30, 2020, for abdominal pain had delivered an 18 to 20-week-old fetus. The hospital had preserved both the fetus and other organs, without obtaining the necessary official permissions, and had used them for educational purposes. This practice, in addition to being deeply unethical, violated health and biomedical laws.
Dr. Radhakishan Pawar stated, “The investigation did not find any violations of the Prenatal Sex Determination Act. However, the unauthorized storage of human organs violates the Anatomy Act, 1949, and improper disposal of these organs breaches biomedical waste management rules. Therefore, the police have filed a case, and the medical superintendent of Daund Sub-District Hospital has issued a show-cause notice to the concerned hospital.”
