Kerala doctor murder: Medico-legal protocol in spotlight

Kochi: The murder of a doctor at the Kottarakkara taluk hospital on Wednesday by a man who was brought there by police has triggered a debate on the new medico-legal protocol regarding the presence of police during the medical examination of an arrested person.

The protocol as per the government order dated May 5, 2022 states “It is preferable that the accompanying police officers keep themselves a little away during the medical examination as to provide adequate privacy at the time of interaction between the medical officer and the arrested person, but without giving any chance for the arrested person to try for his escape”.

After the Kottarakkara incident, a section of people came up defending the police pointing out that the new protocol was also a reason for the attack on the doctor.

However, Dr K Prathibha, who had approached the court and managed to get a verdict directing the state government to issue an order ensuring the privacy of the accused during medical examination, said the protocol has nothing to do with the Kottarakkara incident. She said the doctor came under attack as the police were not prepared to handle a violent man.

“In my petition, I had never opposed police presence during medical examinations. I requested to avoid influencing medical officers during the medical examination,” she said. “It is necessary to conduct an examination of arrested persons to identify whether they were subjected to torture in custody. In the presence of police, the accused or arrested persons would be not comfortable sharing details with doctors. The new protocol was issued to avoid such situations,” said Prathibha.>