The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has requested information about several post-mortems conducted at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, both before and after the autopsy of the junior doctor who was raped and murdered at the hospital on August 9, reported The Telegraph.
A senior CBI officer explained why it was required that they see the details of the post-mortems conducted pre and post the incident, "We want to know the details of the procedures usually followed while performing a post-mortem at the hospital. This will help us better understand the procedures that were followed while conducting the autopsy of the doctor (the victim)."
CBI requests details
Following a Calcutta High Court order, the CBI has requested the hospital to provide details of the procedures followed by forensic medicine doctors when performing post-mortems on individuals found dead under unnatural circumstances, CBI sources said.
A team of three doctors, two from RG Kar and one from NRS Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, conducted the post-mortem of the junior doctor.
The team was led by Apurba Biswas, a professor in the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology at RG Kar.
As per The Telegraph, there have been allegations that the procedure was done in a hurried manner.
Why did the CBI request such details?
CBI sources stated that the response from RG Kar authorities would assist investigators in determining whether there were any procedural lapses and in understanding the standard practices for conducting a post-mortem.
A few of the senior officials at RG Kar refused to delve into the details of the CBI query.
Saptarshi Chatterjee, the Superintendent and Vice-Principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, told The Telegraph that the CBI seeks to understand the process of conducting a post-mortem at the medical college's mortuary and how medico-legal reports are prepared.
Pieces of information from the post-mortem study
According to the report, sources stated that the post-mortem report of the junior doctor indicates multiple bruises and "hemorrhagic spots on the inner side of her epiglottis."
The epiglottis is a cartilaginous flap that prevents food and water from entering the windpipe and lungs when a person swallows.
Before filing its first chargesheet in the rape and murder case of the junior doctor, the CBI questioned all members of the team that conducted her post-mortem.
The chargesheet stated that the victim "died 12 to 18 hours" prior to the autopsy, which took place under videography between "18:10 and 19:10 hours" on August 9.
