KOZHIKODE: With so much being discussed on the brutal murder of LLB student Jisha at Perumbavoor and the police being blamed for unprofessionally handling the case and not able to nab the culprit, Express talks to the most renowned forensic surgeon in state Dr B Umadathan, who says that there is nothing wrong in disposing the body if the police had collected all forensic evidence from it.
Outlining the procedures to be followed by the police in a case of this sort, he said detailed forensic examination was the key in tracing the culprit in Jisha murder case. “After genital examination, collection of scalp hair, pubic hair, nail clippings, vaginal swab and vaginal smear, the body can be disposed. There is no point in preserving the body. In case of Jisha’s case, police might have collected all these details. We need to ensure that they have done this,” he said. He said there is no law in India to preserve the body till the trial of the case is completed. “In Britain, there is a law and police preserve the body till the trial is completed. The body is preserved for the defence counsel to conduct a fresh forensic examination by an expert if he or she has doubt on the authenticity of the report prepared by government's forensic expert." According to Umadathan, the three main procedures police should have followed in Jisha's case were:
Inquest Preparation
On information, the police team reaches the scene and conducts a detailed examination of the dead body and scene in the presence of important personalities in the locality. In the US, the inquest is done by Forensic Pathologists but in
India, the inquest is carried out by trained police personnel. Police collect evidence from the scene and conduct an external examination of the body. The inquest should be done only in daylight. The police must ensure that the crime scene is guarded till the inquest report is completed and body shifted for detailed forensic examination and post-mortem. Based on the inquest report only, the police decide whether to go for a detailed forensic examination of the crime scene and request the support of forensic experts.
Postmortem
A trained police surgeon examines the body to know the exact reason for the death. A report is prepared on all internal organs and external organs. The surgeon examines the body for any internal and external injuries and the change occurred to the body due to passage of time.
Forensic Examination
The forensic experts collect scalp hair, pubic hair, nail clippings, vaginal smear and vaginal swab. If rape is suspected, detailed examination for semen traces is conducted on the body and in vagina. All collected evidence is send for detailed tests. The body is handed over to relatives who is free to dispose of the body as per religious rituals.