POSTMORTEM REPORT GMCH doctor seeks bribe, arrested

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: It is indeed shameful that some unscrupulous medical practitioners have been demanding money to even submit postmortem reports to the next of kin of the deceased. Such a case has come to light and that too in one of the top government hospitals of Assam.

Sleuths of the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption wing of Assam Police on Tuesday arrested Dr Manoj Kumar Baishya, Assistant Professor of the Department of Forensic Medicine, Guwahati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH). Dr Baishya was caught red-handed when he was taking the second installment of a bribe of Rs 8,000. The bribe money has been seized from the possession of the accused. The certified postmortem report which the accused had handed over to the complainant -- Haren Kumar -- has also been seized from the latter's possession.

The accused, Dr Baishya, had reportedly handed over the certified copy of the postmortem report to Kumar after receiving the bribe money. Earlier also, Dr Baishya had reportedly taken a bribe of Rs 4,000 from Kumar.

Sources informed that on September 19, the elder brother of Haren Kumar, namely late Rameshwar Prasad Sah, who was an employee of Raj Bhawan Assam, had expired at GMCH; and the dead body was sent for postmortem examination at the related department of GMCH. After completion of postmortem examination, Dr. Manoj Baishya advised the complainant to meet him at the time of collection of the postmortem report. The doctor also provided the complainant with his telephone number for correspondence before meeting.

Accordingly at around 2.30 pm on October 14, after necessary correspondence the complainant met Dr Baishya at his office chamber for the postmortem report. Then Dr Baishya demanded a bribe of Rs.50,000 (Rupees fifty thousand) to issue a standard postmortem report where no one can raise any objection. Finally, the demand was negotiated at Rs.12,000 (Rupees twelve thousand); and on being compelled, the complainant paid an amount of Rs.4,000 (Rupees four thousand) to him on the spot.

As Kumar was unwilling to pay the remaining bribe amount to the said public servant, he approached the ACB Police Station in the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption, Assam, Guwahati. Accordingly a trap was laid down as per standard procedure in the matter of ACB PS Case No.13/2019 dated 21-10-2019 under Section 7(a) of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended 2018).

The accused public servant will be forwarded to the Court of Special Judge, Assam, Guwahati on October 23. Due procedures are being observed, mentioned the police sources.

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