Serial killing case – judge questions changes in report

Serial killing case – judge questions changes in report

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Nov 26, 2011 : Certain irregularities in the forensic report of one of the young women killed by Mohan Kumar surprised the fast track court on Monday.

 

Dr. T. Padmanabha, the retired forensic expert at Jayachamarajendra Government Hospital, told the court that he had received a body of a 25-year-old woman, which was in a heavily decomposed state. The body was found in the public toilet of Hassan Bus Stand. According to the post mortem report, the lady had died of respiratory failure after consuming Organophospharous Poison (OP).

The forensic expert said that the body emitted a pungent sweetish smell along with the smell of kerosense, indicating that she had consumed salts of cyanide and OP, respectively, owing to which he had mentioned OP in his forensic report.

Six months later, when the Puttur police wrote to the specialist demanding a detailed report on the same case, Dr. T. Padmanabha submitted a report stating that the woman died because she consumed salts of cyanide.

Judge Ningannagowda Jantli wanted to know about the difference between the two reports. He also wanted to know if the viscera of the body have been stored and whether the sexual organs were examined for traces of sexual intercourse. The doctor responded that the report did not have specific details because it was an unidentified body. Admitting that the viscera were not stored, he said that he could not examine the body for traces of sexual intercourse because it was in a highly decomposed state.

Explaining that traces of sexual intercourse are eliminated 48 hours after death, the forensic expert said that the body was brought for post mortem 3 days after death. He further said that he had done an in-depth study and had submitted a report stating that death had taken place because of consumption of salts of cyanide when the police asked for a detailed report 6 months later.

The judge remarked that he sees negligence on the part of the forensic expert and the sub inspector of the Puttur police in this case.

Mohan, who is defending himself, wanted to know why the forensic expert had changed his report after six months and if he had done so upon the request of the police.

Earlier, Surendranath Nayak, the medical officer of the Bantwal Community Health Centre, said that, in 2009, he had conducted a series of tests on Mohan, revealing that he is mentally and physically fit.

Around 8 witnesses, including Bantwal BEO, the manager of the Bantwal branch of the Syndicate Bank, and others, were examined.