Yet another 'botched-up' forensic lab report leaves Pune police clueless

In yet another case, the police have accused the forensic team of Sassoon General Hospital of botched-up forensic investigations. 

The Yerawada police are investigating the death of seven-year-old Kalyani  Gite, who died in an orphanage last month. The hospital’s autopsy report claimed that the death was due to drowning. However, the police said that drowning was not possible in the case.

According to the Yerawada police, when the hospital was asked to conduct the histopathological examination to confirm the final cause of death, the hospital doctors said that they did not think it was necessary to reconfirm. The Yerawada police have formed a special investigation team  for the probe. 

Both the dean of BJ Medical College and Sassoon General Hospital Dr Ajay Chandanwale and medical superintendent Dr DG Kulkarni refused to comment. Head of forensic department Dr SB Punpale said, “We did not find it necessary to conduct the histopathological test.” Punpale was silent on why the report on final cause of death report was not sent to the Yerawada police.

Meanwhile, PI Bendre said, “After it was revealed that the cause of death is drowning, we started investigations on those lines. On August 1, Kalyani vomited and was taken to a private doctor. She was then returned to the orphanage where she ate dal-rice. Next morning, she drank water and complained of pain in her hands and legs. She was then rushed to a private hospital where she was declared brought dead.”

“If someone wanted to kill the girl, why was she taken to the private hospital? And if she died of drowning why wasn’t her body and hair wet? When we asked for the histopathological test, the hospital authorities told us that it is not necessary as the viscera has been preserved,” said Bendre.

After trying to figure out various theories, the police were unable to establish the cause of death. They have now asked the hospital for the final report. “However, they are yet to give us. We need the report as early as possible as we want to probe the case further, but the hospital authorities are delaying it,” he said.

On Saturday, a team from the Yerawada police had gone to submit their reminder report to the hospital authorities. However, it wasn’t accepted and they were asked to come on Monday. 

Sanam Hasan’s case too was ‘botched-up’

In case of Sanam Hasan too, the hospital’s forensic department was alleged to have botched up forensic investigations. Sanam was a Symbiosis student who was found dead a day after her birthday celebrations with friends on October 3, 2012. The DNA test of her viscera remains sent by the hospital did not match with her parents’. In November 2012, the Department of Pathology of BJ Medical College and Sassoon General Hospital had preserved the viscera and its report mentioned Sanam’s sex as male. The report claimed that samples from her stomach, liver and blood contained alcohol. The report of male heart raised furore. The matter has been now handed over to the National Forensic Laboratory in New Delhi.