MARGAO
With questions being raised in certain quarters over the cause of death in the post-mortem examination report in respect of the death of the Bihar native, Kanahiya Kumar Mandal, the Head of Department Forensic department, South district hospital Dr Madhu Ghodkirekar took to the Facebook to state that it is very easy to give ‘fifty“fifty’ type of opinion in autopsy report.
He, however, asserted, “When we use words like ‘postmortem run over’, we not only put our personal reputation at stake but also of the medical literature, based on which we give such decisive opinions,” stated Dr Madhu, who is also the Professor of Forensic Medicine, Goa Medical College.
In the Facebook post, the Forensic Medicine Professor said, “I am not commenting on our autopsy findings, but one thing I have to say over here is that it is very easy to give ‘fifty“fifty’ type of opinion in autopsy report. But, when we use words like ‘postmortem run over’, we not only put our personal reputation at stake but also of the medical literature, based on which we give such decisive opinions.”
He added: “A doctor examine a person (living /dead) issues a medical report with findings he had observed and medico-legal inference drawn based on these findings. The role of police investigation is to find out circumstances responsible for causation of these findings. The role of police and doctor are very specific in the court of law. As regards to interpretation of medical findings, court of law believes in say of doctors and not of the police.”
Ideally speaking, Dr Madhu said, “If everyone sticks to their roles, situation of confrontation through media should not happen. I am fortunate to see policing practices of gone by era stalwarts right from Wishwanath Varik, Alan D’Sa, Vaman Tari, Manjunath Desai, Mahesh Gaonkar, etc. All of them used to be personally present in autopsy room while autopsy of suspicious death is going on. They used to discuss all possibilities there itself. That is why doctor verses police situation hardly used to appear.”
