KOLKATA: As many as 5,000 unidentified bodies were found in West Bengal in 2012, according to the preliminary data from the National Crime Records Bureau NCRB ). Most of the individuals were murder victims."Though unclaimed and unidentified bodies have been recovered from all over the state but most cases were reported from areas in and around Kolkata, the report said.It further said that the rise in the number of unidentified bodies could be a pointer to an increase in the number of unsolved murders in the state.According to the report, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu ranked first and second, respectively.However, the figure might vary in the final report of NCRB which is expected to be released by the end of this year."Mostly, dead bodies recovered from rail tracks and rivers remain unclaimed and unidentified. Due to very less or no information available, cops weren't able to conclude investigation or could make little headway in the case," said a senior police official from West Bengal State Police.He also admitted that despite of revamping law and order machinery in state, the issue is still a major challenge for the administration."...to overcome this problem, all the police stations of the state are directed to preserve teeth of victims. The teeth library could then be used for DNA verification or tests if needed for identification," the police official said.Report: Himadri Sarkar