Wrong body flown to UK by mistake

In a major goof-up, the body of an unidentified man has been mistakenly flown from India to the UK in the belief that it was that of a 54-year-old Indian-origin British hotelier who was allegedly murdered last May during a visit to the country.

The body was Tuesday handed over to UK social services. Indian authorities had sent the body believing it was that of Ranjit Singh Power, allegedly murdered during a visit to Punjab 10 months ago.

Officials thought the corpse, one of five pulled from a river in Punjab, was the missing hotelier but dental records and DNA testing proved the body was not his.

“It remains unascertained. I can’t be clear how he died. He was one of five males pulled from a river in Punjab. I have to give it an open conclusion. Sadly, that’s as far as I can take this. No-one is coming forward,” said Zafar Siddique, coroner for the Black Country region of West Midlands.

“In future, if family do come forward, we have the DNA. This will have to be referred to social services.”

The body cannot be repatriated back to India and a funeral will be conducted by social services, although the DNA would be retained in case of further inquiries.