The 53-year-old Bhutanese woman was killed in a road accident.
A foreign tourist's body kept outside the post-mortem room of a Bihar hospital was eaten by stray dogs, police said on Tuesday. The negligence of health officials is being cited as the reason behind the incident, police said. "Some stray dogs were seen eating body parts of a Bhutanese woman, who was killed in a road accident in Begusarai on Monday," police officer Ali Sabri said. According to the police, 53-year-old Pema Choden was hit by a speeding truck.
She was on her way to Bodh Gaya in Gaya district to attend Kalchakra Puja of Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama, scheduled to be held in January.
"The woman, along with other Buddhist Lama were travelling in a bus. They alighted in Begusarai for refreshment and unfortunately when she was crossing the road, was hit by a vehicle and died," police officials said.
After the accident, police sent her body to hospital for post-mortem. "But the concerned health officials left her body in the open outside the post-mortem room and some stray dogs ate some parts of the body," police said.
Taking serious note of the incident, Bihar Health Minister Tej Pratap Yadav has asked the district civil surgeon Harinarain Singh to submit an explanation within 48 hours.
Harinarain Singh has, however, blamed police officers for the incident. Allegedly, police did not hand over her body to the hospital but left it outside the post-mortem room.
However, Begusarai district Superintendent of Police Ranjit Kumar Mishra said hospital officials were responsible for it.
"I have asked the local police station in-charge to inquire into it," Ranjit Kumar Mishra said.