Disaster Victim Identification in India: Forensic Challenges and the Need for a Comprehensive Legal–Policy Framework

Authors

  • Subhasis Bhadra Department of Psychosocial Support in Disaster Management, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Hosur Road, Hombegowda Nagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India- 5600293 Author https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0141-9500
  • Poulami Laha National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences , Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Hosur Road, Hombegowda Nagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India- 560029 Author https://orcid.org/0009-0002-5694-1670
  • Vina Vaswani Department of Forensic Medicine and Center for Ethics, Yenepoya (Deemed to be University), University Road, Deralakatte, Mangaluru, Karnataka, India- 575018 Author https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8914-0795
  • Dinakaran Damodharan Department of Psychosocial Support in Disaster Management, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Hosur Road, Hombegowda Nagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India- 560029 Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7359-8168
  • Suresh Bada Math Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Hosur Road, Hombegowda Nagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India- 560029 Author https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8190-0382

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.66050/eg729b21

Keywords:

forensic, disaster, disaster victim identification, psychosocial support, law, legal, policy, INTERPOL, India

Abstract

India is increasingly facing natural and human-made disasters, leading to large-scale fatalities. Accurate disaster victim identification (DVI) is essential for medico-legal, humanitarian, and psychosocial contexts. It upholds the dignity of the deceased by enabling the return of the remains to the family for final rites. However, India continues to face significant infrastructural, operational, and policy-related limitations in DVI. This study aimed to examine the role of forensic science in DVI, assess the operational and legal-policy shortcomings in India's DVI framework compared with international norms, investigate the psychological and humanitarian ramifications of delayed or incorrect identification, and propose a comprehensive legal-policy framework for DVI. This structured narrative review was conducted through a thorough literature search in PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar. The last date of search was 31.01.2026. The review was supplemented with existing legal-policy analysis and comparison of the Indian DVI scenario with international standards. Selected Indian disaster case studies between 1999 and 2025 were used to understand the major recurring challenges related to DVI in India. The data were synthesized using a thematic narrative approach. This study identified deficiencies in India’s DVI preparedness and response- shortage of trained forensic experts, insufficient mortuary infrastructure, fragmented coordination between ante-mortem and post-mortem data, poor documentation practices, limited integration of DNA, biometric, and dental records, and a lack of standardized national protocols. A comparative analysis showed that India lags behind the UK, USA, and Australia in multidisciplinary coordination, technological integration, and family support mechanisms. Delayed or inaccurate identification contributes to prolonged grief, legal complications, and erosion of public trust. Hence, India requires a dedicated National DVI Act, specialized DVI institutions, integrated forensic databases, rapid-response, multidisciplinary forensic teams, standardized INTERPOL-aligned protocols, ethical governance of genetic and biometric data, and strengthened psychosocial support systems for the families of the deceased.

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Author Biographies

  • Subhasis Bhadra, Department of Psychosocial Support in Disaster Management, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Hosur Road, Hombegowda Nagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India- 5600293

    Head, Department of Psychosocial Support in Disaster Management, NIMHANS, India

  • Poulami Laha, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Hosur Road, Hombegowda Nagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India- 560029

    Senior Resident, Department of Psychiatry, NIMHANS, India

  • Vina Vaswani, Department of Forensic Medicine and Center for Ethics, Yenepoya (Deemed to be University), University Road, Deralakatte, Mangaluru, Karnataka, India- 575018

     Department of Forensic Medicine and Centre for Ethics, Mangalore, India

  • Dinakaran Damodharan, Department of Psychosocial Support in Disaster Management, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Hosur Road, Hombegowda Nagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India- 560029

    Department of Psychosocial Support in Disaster Management, NIMHANS, India

  • Suresh Bada Math, Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Hosur Road, Hombegowda Nagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India- 560029

    Professor, Department of Psychiatry, NIMHANS, India

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International Journal of Disaster Risk Management

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2026-08-15

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Vol. 8 No. 2 (2026): International Journal of Disaster Risk Management

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Copyright (c) 2026 Subhashish Bhadra, Poulami Laha, Vina Vaswani, Dinakaran Damodharan, Suresh Bada Math (Author)

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How to Cite

Bhadra, S., Laha, P., Vaswani, V., Damodharan, D., & Bada Math, S. (2026). Disaster Victim Identification in India: Forensic Challenges and the Need for a Comprehensive Legal–Policy Framework. International Journal of Disaster Risk Management, 8(2), 1-20. https://doi.org/10.66050/eg729b21

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