Nagpur has seen more than 96 unclaimed and unidentified dead bodies across the city in just five months, showing a worrying rise in urban neglect and social disconnect.
Many of these bodies were found near government hospitals like Mayo, Medical College, and AIIMS, or along footpaths, markets, and roadsides in busy areas such as Sitabuldi and Itwari. These silent cases reflect lives lost without care, respect, or recognition.
Unnatural deaths expose deeper crisis
Out of the 96 cases reported from January to May this year, 66 were due to natural causes. However, 30 deaths were considered unnatural, involving factors like substance abuse, heatstroke, accidents, or unknown reasons. With no identity documents, family contacts, or medical records, the police face difficulties in finding out the exact cause of these deaths.
Behind these grim numbers are mostly homeless individuals struggling with poverty, addiction, mental health challenges, or separation from their families. These are people who once walked the same streets but now lie lifeless beside them, their stories left untold and unheard.
“The number is worrying,” admitted a senior police officer. “We’re seeing a pattern of people slipping through the cracks – no support, no family, no help. And in death, there’s no one to even ask their name.”
Final journey in silence
The process following the discovery is strictly routine. The body is moved to the morgue, where a five-day period is allowed for identification or claims. In most cases, no one comes forward. Afterwards, the police complete the necessary legal procedures and arrange for cremation or burial through municipal authorities.
Once decomposition begins or the face becomes unrecognizable, the chances of identification are almost nonexistent. Occasionally, tattoos or scars provide hints, but they rarely bring any closure. Thus, the cycle of anonymity persists.
A growing humanitarian concern
The increase in unclaimed bodies is not just a number—it represents a silent human tragedy playing out on the city’s streets. Experts and activists caution that this reflects a shortage of shelter homes, limited mental health care, lack of addiction treatment, and widespread neglect.
“Every unclaimed body reflects a failure of the system, of society, and of compassion,” said a local NGO worker who helps with last rites of the homeless. “These are not just numbers. These were people. And we are losing them without even knowing who they were.”
With Nagpur’s expansion, the number of its forgotten souls grows too. Their passing rarely grabs headlines, yet it raises difficult questions: Who were these individuals? What led them to this fate? And above all, was their tragic end avoidable?
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