Post-mortem report yet to come in decade-old poisoning case

A Delhi hospital has claimed before the Central Information Commission that a final post-mortem report in a decade-old poisoning case has not been completed. The case came to light during a hearing before Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi.

RTI applicant Anil Kumar Mahato of Uttam Nagar had sought information regarding the death of his 25-year-old sister Asha Kumari, who was admitted to Deendayal Hospital in 2000 after consuming poison and later died.

Mahato had sought from the hospital a photocopy of her postmortem report, a final opinion regarding her death, forensic viscera report through which the cause of her death could be ascertained and the viscera handing report given by the doctor who conducted her postmortem to Delhi police.

The hospital had provided an incomplete post-mortem report which did not have any final opinion regarding the cause of death or a forensic viscera report.

"The PIO has provided some of the information which is available on the records but has been unable to supply the chemical analysis report of viscera and blood since they have not been received by the hospital," Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi said.

Head of Forensic Medicine at the hospital Dr Komal Singh said police gets the reports from the forensic laboratory and later gives it to them. "If a report about chemical analysis of viscera and blood in the case of unknown poisoning is not received, the final report on the cause of the death cannot be made," Singh said.

"The commission is aghast at the fact that for nearly ten years in a case of suspected unknown poisoning the final report cannot be made. It renders all pretence of having a rule of law prevailing exposed," Gandhi said, adding that all the information 'on record' has been provided.