Murder Inc.
Mir tack sahn is phonetic Hindu for "the Union of the Dead."
Murder is of course illegal in India as everywhere else, but many enterprising Indians who
have relatives worth ripping off have found a way to profit from virtual murder without having to kill anyone and
thus becoming liable for the ultimate punishment. All one
has to do is to bribe the appropriate middle-level officials to declare a relative dead and generate the
necessary paperwork. The relative then inherits his or her "dead" relation's property with impunity. Some of the
"Living Dead," as they call themselves, have existed in this twilight state for as long as twenty years. The
Union of the Dead was recently formed by these souls to first get themselves "reborn", and to then claim the
property "inherited" by their evil relations. The questions raised by their peculiar legal status are
fascinating. If someone murders someone who is already
"dead," is he liable for punishment? What if the "dead" person steals or murders? Can his living "ghost" be
held accountable for his actions? The Union of the Dead had trouble convincing anyone to listen to them until
they started raising just these sorts of questions and uncorrupt authorities began to take notice of the
problem. (Discussion on the Union of the Dead heard on a BBC World Service Outlook rebroadcast on
29/12/99; special thanks to gravediggers Cory and Rosedale for bringing this to
Grinny's attention)