Jagdeep Chhokar’s body donated to LHMC for medical research

Jagdeep Singh Chhokar, co-founder of the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and former Dean of the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, passed away on Friday morning with family donating his his body including eyes to the Department of Anatomy at Lady Hardinge Medical College (LHMC).

The donation was carried out as per a pledge he made in 2020.

It was facilitated by Dr. Sunita Sharma, Director-General of Health Services (DGHS), and supported by Dr. Sarita Beri, Director of LHMC. The department issued a statement saying, “A very fortunate moment for the Department of Anatomy to receive the voluntary body donation of late Jagdeep Singh Chhokar. He was a founding member of ADR and pledged this in 2020. Today, his whole body and eye donation were facilitated by Dr. Sunita Sharma and supported by the Director, LHMC.”

Sarita Beri, Director of LHMC, tweeted, “The Department of Anatomy humbly acknowledges the voluntary body donation of Late Jagdeep Singh Chhokar—founding member of Association for Democratic Reforms & former Dean, IIMA. Our gratitude to Ms. Kiran Chhokar & family for their invaluable contribution to advancing medical education.”

His body and eyes will be used for anatomical studies and medical research. Other prominent individuals who have donated their bodies include late CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury, whose family donated his body to AIIMS, New Delhi. Other prominent individuals who have donated their bodies are former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, whose body was donated to SSKM Hospital in Kolkata for medical education and research; and former West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu, who pledged his body to SSKM Hospital in Kolkata for medical research.

Chhokar’s donation will aid medical education and research at LHMC, a central government institution under the University of Delhi that has accepted voluntary body donations since its founding in 1916.