The Telangana Pathology and Anatomy Act, 1955.

THE TELANGANA PATHOLOGY AND ANATOMY ACT, 1955. 
(ACT NO. X OF 1955.) 
ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS 
Sections 
1. Short title, extent and commencement. 
2. Definitions. 
3. Power of State Government to authorise officers 
to act under section 4. 
4. Unclaimed dead bodies in hospitals, prisons and 
public places how to be dealt with. 
5. Doubt or dispute as to near relative to be referred 
to a City Magistrate or Magistrate of the first class. 
6. Penalty. 
7. Duty of police and other officers to assist. 
8. Protection of persons acting under this Act. 
9. Power to make rules. 
 Schedule. 
 
THE TELANGANA PATHOLOGY AND ANATOMY  
ACT, 1955.1 
 
ACT No. X OF 1955. 
 
1. (1) This Act may be called 2[the Telangana Pathology 
and Anatomy Act, 1955.] 
 
 (2) It extends to the whole of the 2State of Telangana. 
 
 (3) This section shall come into force at once. 
 
 (4) The State Government may, by notification in the 
*Telangana Gazette direct that the remaining provisions of  
this Act shall come into force on such date and in such area 
as may be specified in the notification. 
 
2. In this  Act, unless there is anything repugnant in the 
subject or context:— 
 
 (a) “authorised officer ” means an officer authorised 
under section 3; 
 
 (b) “hospital” means any hospital established or 
maintained by the State Government, or 3[by any local 
authority] and includes any other hospital which may be 
declared by the State Government, by notification in the 
                                                           
1. The Andhra Pradesh Pathology and Anatomy Act, 1955 in force in the 
combined State, as on 02.06.2014, has been adapted to the State of 
Telangana, under section 101 of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation 
Act, 2014 (Central Act 6 of 2014) vide. the Telangana Adaptation of Laws 
Order, 2016, issued in G.O.Ms.No.45, Law (F) Department, dated: 
01.06.2016. 
2. Substituted by G.O.Ms.No.45, Law (F) Department, dated 01.06.2016. 
* Throughout the Act, for the words “Andhra Pradesh ” the word  
“Telangana” substituted by G.O.Ms.No.45, Law (F) Department, dated 
01.06.2016. 
3. Substituted by Act No.19 of 1963. 
Definitions. 
Short title, extent 
and 
commencement. 
2  [Act No. X of 1955] 
Telangana Gazette to be a hospital for the purpose of this 
Act; 
 
 (c) “near relative ” means any of the following rela tives 
of the deceased, namely a wife, husband, parent, son, 
daughter, brother or sister and includes any other person 
who is related to the deceased (i) by lineal consanguinity 
within three degrees or by collateral consanguinity within six 
degrees, or (ii) by marriage with any of the rel atives 
aforesaid; 
 
 Explanation:—The expressions “Lineal consanguinity” 
and “collateral consanguinity ” shall have the meanings 
assigned to them in the Indian Succession Act, 1925, and 
degree of relationship shall be computed in the manner laid 
down in that Act. 
 
 (d) “prescribed” means prescribed by rules made by 
the State Government under this Act; 
 
 (e) “teaching medical institution ’’ means any of the 
institutions specified in the Schedule to this Act and 
includes any other institution which may be declared by the 
State Government, by notification in the Telangana Gazette 
to be a teaching medical institution for the purposes of this 
Act; 
 
 (f) “unclaimed body” means the body of a person who 
dies in a hospital, prison or public place, which has not 
been claimed by any of his near relatives within such time as 
may be prescribed. 
 
3. (1)The State Gov ernment may by notification in  the 
4[Telangana Gazette] authorise for the area in which this Act 
comes into force or any part thereo f, one or more officers to 
                                                           
4. Substituted by G.O.Ms.No.45, Law (F) Department, dated 01.06.2016. 
Power of State 
Government to 
authorise officers 
to act under 
section 4. 
[Act No. X of 1955]  3 
whom a report shall be made under section 4 and who shall 
be competent to act under the said section. 
 
 (2) Every officer authorised under sub -section (1) shall 
be deemed to be public servant within the meaning of 
section 21 of the Indian Penal Code. 
 
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 in hospitals, 
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 authorised 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 t he authority in -charge of a 
teaching medical institution. if it is required by that authority 
for the purpose of conducting pathological or anatom ical 
examination and dissection 5[or for the therape utic 
purposes]. 
 
 (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 nea r 
relatives within such time as may be prescribed the 
authorised 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 a teaching medical 
institution, 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 authorised officer 
considers it expedient so to do shall forward the unclaimed 
body to a police officer referred to in section 174 of the 
Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898. 
 
                                                           
5. Added by Act No.19 of 1963. 
Unclaimed dead 
bodies in 
hospitals, prisons 
and public places 
how to be dealt 
with. 
4  [Act No. X of 1955] 
 (4) Where any unclaimed body taken possession of by 
the au thorised officer under this section is not required by 
the authority in charge of a teaching medical institution for 
the purpose specified in sub-section (1), it shall be disposed 
of in such manner as may be prescribed. 
 
5. (1) If any doubt or dispute arises whether a person is or 
is not a near relati ve of the deceased for the pur pose of 
section 4, the matter shall be referred  6[in the cities of 
Hyderabad and Secunderabad  to a City Magistrate, and 
elsewhere to a Magistrate of the First Class] having 
jurisdiction and the  decision of such Magistrate shall be 
final. 
 
 (2) Pending such decision, the body of the deceased 
person shall be preserved from decay in such manner as 
may be prescribed. 
 
6. Whoever disposes of,  or abets the disposal of, an 
unclaimed body save as provided by this Act, or obstructs 
any authority in -charge of a teaching medical institution or 
an authorised officer from handing over, taking possession 
of, removing or using, such dead body for the purpose 
specified in section 4, shall be punishable with the fine 
which may extend to five hundred rupees. 
 
7. All officers and servants of the Police, Medical and 
Public Health Departments, all officers and servants in the 
service of a local authority,  and all  village officers and 
servants shall be bound to take all reasonable measures  to 
assist authorised officers in the  discharge of  their duties  
under this Act. 
 
                                                           
6. Substituted by Act No.19 of 1963 [“the City Cor oner or ” in the 
marginal heading were omitted].  
Doubt or dispute 
as to near relative 
to be referred to 
[XXX] a City 
Magistrate or 
Magistrate of the 
first class. 
Penalty. 
Duty of police and 
other officers to 
assist. 
[Act No. X of 1955]  5 
8. No suit, prosecution or other legal proceeding shall lie 
against any person for anything which is in good faith done 
or intended to be done in pursuance of this Act. 
 
9. The State Government may, by notification in the 
Telangana Gazette make rules for carrying out the purposes 
of this Act. 
  
Protection of 
persons acting 
under this Act. 
Power to make 
rules. 
6  [Act No. X of 1955] 
7[The Schedule. 
 
[Section 2(e)] 
 
1. The Anantha Lakshmi Ayurvedic College, Warangal. 
 
2. The Andhra Provincial Homeopathic College, 
Gudivada. 
 
3. The Andhra Medical College, Vishakapatnam. 
 
4. The Gandhi Medical College, Hyderabad. 
 
5. The Government Ayurvedic College, Hyderabad. 
 
6. The Guntur Medical College, Guntur. 
 
7. The Kurnool Medical College, Kurnool. 
 
8.  The Nizamia Tibbi College, Hyderabad. 
 
9. The Osmania Medical College, Hyderabad. 
 
10. Sri Rangaraya Memorial Medical College, Kakinada. 
 
11. The Kakatiya Medical College, Warangal. 
 
12. Sri Venkateswara Medical College, Tirupati.] 
 
* * * 
                                                           
7. Substituted by Act No.19 of 1963. 

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