Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 21

The Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, to constitute a board and expeditiously conduct a second post-mortem examination of gangster Jaipal Singh Bhullar.

The direction by Justice Avneesh Jhingan of the High Court came on a petition filed by gangster’s father Bhupinder Singh. Jaipal and another person were killed in an encounter with a special task force of the West Bengal Police in Kolkata. Jaipal’s father and other relatives had subsequently claimed they had spotted some “unusual marks” on the body.

Justice Jhingan noted the body of the petitioner’s son was lying at his place for nine days and rejection of his prayer for a second post-mortem at the current stage might result in irreversible damage.

Justice Jhingan also made it clear the order was being passed after ignoring the technicalities and considering the nature of the relief sought.

Appearing on the PGIMER’s behalf, senior advocate Amit Jhanji assured the Bench needful would be done for complying with the court directions. Petitioner’s advocates APS Randhawa, Dhananjay Grover, Ishma Randhawa and Simranjit Singh, in turn, submitted the father would himself bring the body to the PGIMER as he was not ready to hand it over to the police.

“Let the petitioner hand over the body of his son to the PGIMER, Chandigarh, on June 22 at 10 am for conducting the second post-mortem,” Justice Jhingan asserted, while directing the handing over of the report’s copies to the petitioner, the Punjab Police, and other authorities concerned.

Justice Jhingan added it would have been appropriate to hear the West Bengal authorities in normal circumstances. But the petition was being decided today itself, considering time was of the essence and in view of the Supreme Court directions.

The matter was placed before Justice Jhingan’s Bench after it was remanded back by the Supreme Court with observations that the Punjab and Haryana High Court erred in initially dismissing the petition on the grounds that the death had occurred in Kolkata and the post-mortem examination too was conducted there.