CUTTACK: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Monday issued a fresh direction to the superintendent of police (SP), Rayagada to submit all medical records related to the nine-month pregnant woman who died two days after her release from jail custody following child birth.
The Commission issued the direction after considering the report submitted by the Rayagada SP in pursuance of an order issued earlier. In the Monday order, the NHRC directed him “to submit all medical treatment records of the deceased Sulabati Naik including the report of the doctor at the time of remand and the postmortem report to the Commission within four weeks.”
The Commission posted the matter to November 2 for further consideration of the complaint while expecting the medical records to be submitted within four weeks. The NHRC had initially sought a report from the Rayagada SP on a complaint which alleged that the 32-year-old woman from Paikaikupakhal within Andirakanj police limits had died due to medical negligence during her 15 days in custody. The complaint was filed by advocate Anup Patro, a Jeypore-based human rights activist.
According to the report of Rayagada SP, the deceased Sulabati Naik and 12 other women were arrested in connection with a Rasta Roko agitation on December 26, 2022 and forwarded to court. However, neither the police nor the medical officer could detect that she was pregnant. The under-trial prisoners were physically released on bail on January 10, 2023.
Sulabati Naik was admitted to the district headquarters hospital at Rayagada as she experienced labour pain the same day. She gave birth to a male child the next day. After delivery, she was transferred to the SLN Medical College and Hospital, Koraput to receive health care of critical care facilities.
At the time of referral, the patient was having acute renal failure with severe hypertension. She died in the hospital on January 12. An unnatural death case was registered at Koraput police station.