PANAJI
While the framing of the charge against AI ethics expert and data scientist Suchana Seth is expected within a few weeks, her reassessment of mental health by the Mental Health Authority is still pending.
Exactly a month ago, the Children’s Court had granted her father’s plea to reassess her mental health by the Mental Health Authority.
Sources revealed to The Goan that the Institute of Psychiatry and Human Behaviour (IPHB), Bambolim is still to complete the formalities to constitute a panel of doctors to conduct the examination. Seth, who is charged with killing her four-year-old son during their vacation in Goa on January 7 and destroying evidence, is currently in judicial custody.
The father of the accused had filed an application in February challenging the IPHB report that confirmed she is mentally fit/stable. Her lawyer argued that the Authority, comprising a retired judge and mental health professionals, psychologists, social workers, etc., as its members, should carry out her reassessment, as the IPHB failed to consider her history.
Although the Children’s Court granted the application, she remains in custody without undergoing the procedure.
The accused, who has refused to cooperate with the investigation and attempted to mislead the probe, has remained silent on various issues related to the case.
Meanwhile, the report from the Verna Forensic Science Laboratory also revealed that no “common poison” was detected in the samples of vital organs sent for examination. “Common poison could not be detected in the contents...” it stated.
The Government Hospital at Hiriyur, Karnataka, where the minor boy’s post-mortem was conducted, opined that he died due to shock. “I am of the opinion that the cause of death is due to shock and respiratory asphyxia as a result of strangulation being the other case in related out of FSL report shows negative...” the report said.
The investigation team had stated that they found two bottles of cough syrup, presumably given to the child to make him drowsy while she could allegedly suffocate him with a pillow in the hotel room.
