Unclaimed bodies in hospitals, prisons and public places to be dealt with

(1) If a person dies in a hospital or in a prison and his body is not claimed by any person interested within such time as may be prescribed, the authority in charge of such hospital or prison or any police officer shall, with the least practicable delay, report the fact to the authorised officer who shall take possession of the unclaimed body and except in the case referred to in sub-section (3), hand it over to the authority in charge of an approved institution, if it is required by that authority, for therapeutic purposes or for the purpose of conducting anatomical examination or dissection or for any other similar purpose. (2) If a person dies in any public place in an area in which he had no permanent place of residence and the body of that person is not claimed by any person interested within such time as may be prescribed, the authorised officer shall take possession of such unclaimed body and except in the case referred to in sub-section (3) hand it over to the authority in charge of an approved institution, if it is required by that authority for the purposes specified in sub-section (1). (3) When there is any doubt regarding the cause of death or when for any reason the authorised officer considers it expedient so to do, he shall forward the unclaimed body to the police officer referred to in section 174 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973. (4) Where any unclaimed body taken possession of by the authorised officer under this section is not required by the authority in charge of an approved institution for the purpose specified in sub-section (1), it shall be disposed of in such manner as may be prescribed.