The three minor sisters who were found dead in east Delhi's Mandawali area were "visibly malnourished" when they were brought to a hospital, and the autopsy showed that their "stomachs were empty" as if they had not eaten for over a week, doctors said.
The girls, aged eight, four and two, were brought to the LBS Hospital in Mayur Vihar by their mother and a friend at around 1 pm on Tuesday. The hospital authorities later declared them brought dead.
"The post-mortem was conducted on Tuesday evening itself, and it was over by 6:30 pm. On Wednesday, they wanted a review, so chemical toxicology was also suggested. And, therefore, a medical board was set up and a second autopsy was conducted at the GTB Hospital," Medical Superintendent of LBS Hospital Dr Amita Saxena said.
Asked what the forensic experts found after the post-mortem, she said, "There were no injury marks. It looked like a typical case of malnutrition, with dishevelled, monkey-like faces and no trace of fat in the bodies."
"The stomach, bladder and rectum were found empty," she said about the post-mortem.
Saxena said the experts did not suspect any foul play, as there was "no food in the stomach. It was as if they they had not eaten anything for 8-9 days".
"We wanted a second opinion and be doubly sure, so a second autopsy was done at the GTB Hospital," she said.
"The deaths of these children is tragic and painful," she said.
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