State Act

Tamil Nadu Anatomy Act

4.(1) If a person dies in a hospital or in a prison and his body is not claimed by any of his near relatives within such time as may be prescribed, the authority in charge of such hospital or prison shall, with the least practicable delay, report the fact to the authorized officer, and the said officer 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 2[a teaching medical institution or a hospital, if it is required by the authority in-charge of that institution or hospital, for the purpose of anatomical examination and dissection or medical relief or treatment as the case may be.]. (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 of his near relatives within such time as may be prescribed, the authorized officer 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 3[a teaching medical institution or a hospital], if it is required by that authority, for the purpose specified in sub-section (1). (3) When there is any doubt regarding the cause of death or when for any reason the authorized 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, 1898. (4) Where any unclaimed body taken possession of by the authorized officer under this section is not required by the authority in-charge of 1[a teaching medical institution or a hospital] for the purpose specified in sub-section (1), it shall be disposed of in such manner as may be prescribed.