Punjab Launches ‘Pehchaan’ Portal to Help Families Trace Unknown and Unclaimed Dead

Chandigarh, September 3, 2026: Punjab has become the first state in India to launch a statewide public digital portal, ‘Pehchaan’, for identifying unidentified and unclaimed deceased persons found at government mortuaries. The initiative was formally launched by Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh on Wednesday.

The new platform aims to use digital records and photographs to help families in India and abroad search for missing relatives and initiate the formal identification process without repeatedly visiting police stations or mortuaries.

What Is the ‘Pehchaan’ Portal?

Under the initiative, details of every unidentified or unclaimed deceased person taken to a government mortuary in Punjab will be uploaded to the portal within 48 hours of the post-mortem examination.

The records will include facial photographs, permanent identification marks such as tattoos and birthmarks, photographs of distinctive physical features and a detailed physical description.

Families Can Search Online

The portal is designed to be publicly accessible and free of charge through the Punjab Health Department’s official websites.

Families can search the database from anywhere in India or abroad. If a person believes they have identified a missing relative, an online claim can be submitted, following which the concerned investigating officer is automatically notified to begin the formal identification process.

This could significantly reduce the need for families to physically visit multiple mortuaries and police stations while searching for missing loved ones.

Thousands of Unknown and Unclaimed Deaths Every Year

The scale of the problem is substantial.

According to figures cited at the launch, Punjab records approximately 5,000 to 6,000 deaths every year involving people who remain unidentified or unclaimed. That works out to roughly 16 such cases a day.

The government says the new system is intended not only to improve identification but also to provide families with closure and dignity.

Built on Punjab’s MedLEaPR System

The Pehchaan portal has been built on the foundation of Punjab’s existing digital medico-legal platform, MedLEaPR, developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC).

MedLEaPR is currently operational across 23 districts and 346 government hospitals in Punjab and has more than 6,600 registered medical officers. The system has recorded over 12 lakh medico-legal and post-mortem cases, according to the Health Minister.

Police, Hospitals and Forensic Agencies Connected

The state says MedLEaPR already links police, courts, health institutions and nine forensic science laboratories, including AIIMS Bathinda.

It is also integrated with the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS), allowing missing-person records to be cross-matched with medico-legal information.

This existing digital infrastructure is expected to make the Pehchaan platform more effective in matching unidentified deceased persons with missing-person reports.

Dignity of the Deceased at the Centre

Launching the initiative, Dr Balbir Singh described it as both a humanitarian and technological measure.

He stressed that unidentified people should not become anonymous numbers and that every deceased person deserves dignity while families deserve an opportunity to know what happened to their missing relatives.

Why This Initiative Matters

The portal could help solve a long-standing challenge in missing-person investigations by bringing information about unidentified deceased persons into a single searchable digital system.

It also offers the potential to improve coordination between police and medical authorities and shorten the time required to establish identities.

However, the effectiveness of the system will depend on timely uploading of records, accurate descriptions and photographs, and prompt verification of claims by investigating agencies.

Key Highlights
Punjab has become India’s first state to launch a statewide ‘Pehchaan’ portal for unidentified and unclaimed deceased persons.
Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh launched the platform.
Details are to be uploaded within 48 hours of post-mortem.
Records will include photographs, identification marks and physical descriptions.
Families can search the database free of cost from India or abroad.
Online claims will automatically alert the relevant investigating officer.
Punjab reports around 5,000–6,000 unidentified or unclaimed deaths annually.
The portal is built on the state’s MedLEaPR digital medico-legal system.