The instruction issued by the Kerala government in 1986 to conduct post-mortems only in daylight could be reviewed only after examining all aspects linked to the issue, including how it would be accepted by courts, state home minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said on Thursday.
Replying to a submission by N Aniruddhan (CPI-M), he said the instructions were still not statutory, but the practice of conducting post-mortems during daytime was continuing.
The minister said experts were of the opinion that post-mortems should not be conducted in artificial light for it to be fault-free, as examination of internal organs would be authentic only in daylight. It had also to be confirmed if any change in the practice would affect court verdicts, he said.
With new lighting equipment, some states were conducting post-mortems during night, he said, adding that the Home department would hold discussions with the Health and Law departments on the matter.