Postmortem ignored in most deaths due to Covid rules

Nagpur: The guidelines of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on postmortem, toeing the principles released by the World Health Organization (WHO), is leading to a baffling situation where autopsy process is being skipped in many cases.
There has been a spate of suicides and questionable deaths of young and elderly persons at their residences. However, the postmortem was not conducted following Covid guidelines, as cops and family members jointly decided to forego the exercise after they felt that there was nothing suspicious in the death. In many cases, the suicide victims are found Covid positive, so their postmortems were not performed.
In the latest case, a 30-year-old married woman at Baba Baghdadiya Nagar ended life on Sunday. Her parents have raised objection, and are blaming her husband and in-laws for her taking the drastic decision. However, the postmortem would not be performed as she has tested Covid positive. Mankapur police station’s senior inspector Ganesh Thakre sounded helpless in the situation. “We will now go by the complaints and evidence found during investigations,” he said.
Senior inspector Jayesh Bhandarkar of Tehsil police station, however, has put his foot down, stating that he would insist on postmortem in the latest suicide of a married woman, Payal Batho, at her residence at Chhoti Khadan, even if it means the doctors have to take utmost precautions. “The woman was married just one year ago. Her parents are on the way, and have expressed their doubts. In this condition, though there is a suicide note stating that her in-laws’ and husband’s harassment led to the suicide, even then there is a need for postmortem,” he said.
According to a forensic expert, the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) 174 describing ‘accidental death’ and the manner in which such cases need to be probed do not makes postmortem a mandatory process, if the investigating officer does not feel its need. “It was a mutual decision of police and forensic department to be selective and conduct autopsy only in cases which raise doubts,” he said.