CHENNAI: Refusing to interfere in the one month suspension handed over to a city doctor by Tamil Nadu Medical Council (TNMC) for sharing the postmortem report in a TV debate, the Madras High Court on Friday ordered notice to the council to file a detailed report on the issue. Justice V Parthiban ordered that the petitioner Dr V Dekal, has to stay away from his medical practice for a month.
The petitioner submitted that he did not criticise the postmortem certificate issued by the government doctor but only expressed his opinion. He added, when so many qualified forensic experts were available in the nearby Government Chengalpattu Medical College, the postmortem examination should have been conducted there instead of the one at Madurantakam.
Countering his submissions, G Shankaran appearing for the TNMC said, Dekal participated in a TV programme and discussed the suspicious death of a woman near Chennai. He commented that the postmortem certificate issued by the government hospital was substandard, and had a lot of flaws. The issue pertains to Sasikala, a resident of Guduvanchery, working in a textile showroom in the locality.
On June 24, when Sasikala and her disabled father were sleeping outside their house, Purushothaman, their relative raised an alarm claiming that Sasikala had killed herself. However, it was later found that Purushothaman and his brother Devendran committed the murder. The TNMC, in its order stated: “Blatant accusations of defective postmortem based on the examination report can instigate unwarranted pressure on the part of the affected family and all those involved.
When the police investigations are on and the case is under the purview of our reputed judicial system, Dekal’s act was uncalled for by a registered medical practitioner.” Refusing to accept his explanation, the council passed an order suspending his licence to practise for one month. Recording the submissions made by both counsels, the court refused to interfere in the punishment and directed TNMC to file counter by October 29.