Profile of Unidentified Dead Bodies in Northern India: A Tertiary Care Center Experience

Identification is the primary step in any medicolegal investigation. Unidentified bodies pose significant challenges for forensic experts and investigating officers due to the lack of history and frequent decomposition. Establishing identity is crucial for legal resolution and providing closure to families.

The aim of this study is to profile unidentified dead bodies to observe the overall patterns and characteristics of such cases in Uttarakhand.

A retrospective, record-based analysis was conducted at the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh, India. The study reviewed 633 autopsies of unidentified or unclaimed bodies performed over a six-and-a-half-year period (from January 1, 2019, to June 30, 2025). Data were analyzed using IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences Statistics for Windows, version 23.0 (Released 2015; IBM Corp., Armonk, NY).

Unidentified bodies accounted for 15.3% (633 out of 4,132) of all autopsies. The majority were male bodies in the 21-60 year age group. Regarding clinical status, 56.24% were brought dead, and 56.39% had no history of hospital admission, while 42.65% were brought alive and 42.81% received hospital care before death. Frequent histories included natural diseases, recovery from water, or being found dead in public spaces. Approximately half of the bodies were decomposed at the time of autopsy. The leading causes of death were drowning, sepsis, bronchopneumonia, traumatic brain injury, and coronary artery disease. While forensic samples were preserved in all cases, advanced decomposition often limited definitive identification.

To ensure dignity and closure for families, the government should strengthen identification protocols. This requires better coordination between investigative agencies and forensic experts, along with the effective use of advanced forensic resources to reduce the number of unresolved cases.