E-Paper
Bombay HC directs second post mortem of teen who died in 2018 after detention
On July 13, 2018, Jaiswar was allowed to go home after being detained at the police station. The next day, after he developed fever. He died on July 21, 2018
The Bombay high court (HC) has directed the authorities at Sir JJ Hospital to conduct a second post mortem of Sachin Jaiswar, a 17-year-old boy whose family suspects he died due to detention by Dharavi police in 2018. The hospital has been directed to conduct the post mortem by Monday, and submit a report by April 9.
The directions were issued while hearing the petition filed by Jaiswar’s father Ravindra, seeking action against the police officers who were given a clean chit by the crime branch. The family had refused to claim Jaiswar’s body since 2018 to conduct the final rites, and it is at JJ hospital’s morgue.
A division bench of justice SS Shinde and justice Manish Pitale, while hearing the petition filed by Ravindra and Jaiswar’s brother Sunil was informed by advocate Siddharth Chandrashekhar that the family was not satisfied with the crime branch’s report that had exonerated the Dharavi police personnel of assaulting the teenager after detaining him in connection with a mobile phone theft.
On July 13, 2018, Jaiswar was allowed to go home after being detained at the police station. The next day, after he developed fever, he was taken to Sion hospital and discharged. He was admitted again after his condition worsened, and he died on July 21, 2018. Based on the post-mortem report, the police claimed that Jaiswar had died due to pneumonia. However, his family was not satisfied by the reasoning and refused to take the body. They then approached HC, seeking a second post mortem.
On Saturday, the bench while hearing the petition was informed by Chandrashekhar that the family was willing to take custody of the body and conduct the last rites if their prayer for a second post mortem was accepted.
The bench viewed Dharavi police station’s July 13, 2018, CCTV footage in the presence of the petitioners and the investigating officer, and the counsel for the state.
Additional public prosecutor JP Yagnik for the police said that they had no objection if such a request was granted. Yagnik informed HC that after the second post mortem, Jaiswar’s body would be handed over to his father, and an ambulance would be provided free of cost for taking the body for last rites.
After hearing the submissions, the bench directed JJ hospital to conduct the second post mortem by a team of doctors who were not part of the earlier post mortem. The court also asked the hospital to submit the report under the signature of the hospital’s dean and posted the hearing on April 9.
Body in morgue since 2018
Sachin Jaiswar, a boy from the Scheduled Caste community, was detained in 2018 by Dharavi police in connection with a mobile phone theft. On July 13, 2018, Jaiswar was allowed to go home. The next day, after he developed fever, he was taken to Sion hospital and discharged. He was admitted again after his condition worsened, and he died on July 21, 2018. Based on the post-mortem report, the police claimed that Jaiswar had died due to pneumonia. A crime branch’s report had exonerated the Dharavi police personnel of assaulting the teenager. However, his family was not satisfied by the reasoning.
