Post mortems in medico-legal cases dip after Maha hosp study

A study by forensic department of Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences in Sewagram has resulted in a reduction by half of number of post mortems conducted in medico-legal cases in Maharashtra's Wardha district.

facility's forensic medicine professor Dr Indrajit Khandekar on Saturday said reduction in post mortem procedures in burning death cases by 42.68 per cent was recently documented in 'Journal of Indian Forensic Medicine'.

study, titled 'Curtailing of Unnecessary Post Mortems', was carried out by Khandekar and MGIMS colleagues Dr Kavita Chaphalkar and Dr BH Tirpude.

"I had submitted a report in 2015 on a large number of post mortems being conducted needlessly even when cause of death is very clear, leading to loss of man-hours and causing inconvenience to deceased's kin. n Wardha Superintendent of Police Ankit Goyal appointed a committee under me to study this issue," Khandekar said.

"We modified inquest format and included provisions of CrPC section 174 in it, which authorises a police officer to t forward body for post mortem if re is doubt in cause of death. We implemented this inquest format in Sewagram Hospital in 2016. It is a myth that post mortem is mandatory in all medico-legal cases," he added.

When contacted, Wardha Superintendent of Police Basavaraj Teli said, "When cause of death is clear and body has raised doubts on it, n re is point in conducting post mortem. new protocol implemented after study curtailed post mortem procedures by almost 49 per cent."