Badge captured in chest X-ray creates confusion

Forensic surgeons attached to the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Grant Medical College and JJ Group of hospitals who conducted the autopsy on Varsha Ganpat Bhosle (56), will shortly visit the flat where she was found dead from a gunshot wound on Monday, to study the crime scene for a specific reason.

Varsha's body being taken for postmortem. Pic/Satyajit Desaiu00a0

Though the police have extensively photographed the flat, the surgeons want to study the crime scene to help them prepare the final cause of death report after they get the ballistic and chemical analysis reports from the State Forensics Laboratory, Kalina.

Some confusion prevailed when according to sources attached to Nagpada police hospital, the X-ray technician and police personnel were surprised on spotting a suspected foreign body in a chest X-ray of the deceased.

However, the mystery was solved immediately, after the technician realised that the foreign body was only the metal badge bearing the body number ‘15' that had been tied around Varsha's wrist, as per procedure at the JJ PM centre. An official attached to Nagpada police hospital said that only a part of it was accidentally captured while taking the chest X-ray.

Varsha's mortal remains were taken to the JJ Post Mortem Centre at around 5 pm and later sent to Nagpada police hospital for X-rays. The surgeons had demanded for an X-ray of the skull to check if any particles of the bullet were lodged anywhere in the head, and also a chest X-ray.

In the panchnama report, the Gamdevi police had only mentioned an entry wound on the right side of the temple and exit wound on the left side of the temple, with no other injury anywhere on the body.

Though the surgeons were unable to find remains of the bullet lodged anywhere in the body, it is believed that something could be found at the scene of crime.

A team of ballistics experts headed by Dr Ravindra Jadhav attached to the ballistics department of State Forensics Science Laboratory visited the crime scene and collected samples for analysis.

Meanwhile, a senior cop confirmed that one shell casing was found in the house. He said that once Asha's son arrived in the city from Singapore, some questions could be answered better. "We are waiting for Anand to return to Mumbai and only after recording his statement, we will be able to get a clearer picture."

Pradip B Lonandkar, senior police inspector, Gamdevi police station, said, "Preliminary inquiries have revealed that it is a clear case of suicide and no foul play is suspected. Asha is in a state of shock and, being a senior citizen, we understand the situation that she is going through."u00a0