What Did the Calcutta HC Say About the New Medical Board in the BJP Workers' Death Case?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Calcutta High Court orders new medical board for further investigation.
- Second autopsy reveals multiple injuries on both BJP workers.
- Concerns arise over the investigation's integrity and the role of the investigating officer.
- Families of the deceased continue to seek justice amid conflicting reports.
- Next court hearing scheduled for September 18.
Kolkata, Sep 15 (NationPress) The Calcutta High Court has mandated the establishment of a new medical board concerning the deaths of two BJP workers in the Khejuri region of East Midnapore district, following the revelation of multiple injuries in the second autopsy reports.
The autopsy performed by professionals at the state-operated SSKM hospital indicated 24 injuries on one body and numerous injuries on the other.
In light of the post-mortem findings, the division bench led by Justice Debangshu Basak instructed the state health department on Monday to form a new medical board and account for the injuries documented in the report.
The court further specified that the report must clarify which injuries contributed to the fatalities. Additionally, the new board is required to provide a comprehensive analysis of the entire report, which is expected to be submitted by September 18, when the case is scheduled for further hearing.
On September 8, the high court raised concerns regarding the conduct of the investigating officer (IO) looking into the questionable deaths of the BJP workers in Khejuri that occurred in July.
Previously, on September 3, the division bench of Justice Debangshu Basak and Justice Shabbar Rashidi ordered the East Midnapore district police to present the call records of 17 individuals accused in the case, along with the call logs of the medical officer who performed the autopsy-related examinations.
On that occasion, the division bench insisted on the submission of these call details, as doubts emerged regarding discrepancies in the two post-mortem reports related to the same incident.
The East Midnapore district police, on September 8, provided a report to the division bench after reviewing the call records of the medical officer affiliated with Tamluk Medical College and Hospital in the same district.
This report astonished the two judges of the division bench.
The division bench also probed why the investigating officer made numerous calls to the medical officer involved, both prior to and following the post-mortem of the two BJP workers.
Questioning this matter, the division bench remarked that the role of the district police in the case, particularly that of the investigating officer, remained questionable.
To summarize, on July 12 this year, two BJP workers—Sujit Das and Sujit Paik—lost their lives while attending a public cultural event in their village at Khejuri. Initially, based on the first post-mortem report, the police classified the deaths as resulting from “electrocution.”
However, the families of the deceased BJP workers contended that they had been murdered and approached the Calcutta High Court for a second autopsy.
Following the high court's orders, a second autopsy took place at the state-run S.S.K.M. Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, revealing injury marks on the bodies of the two BJP workers.