Cops try to doctor encounter victim’s post-mortem report

MUMBAI, December 22: In a blatant attempt to suppress truth, autopsy surgeons who conducted the post-mortem on an encounter victim, are b...

MUMBAI, December 22: In a blatant attempt to suppress truth, autopsy surgeons who conducted the post-mortem on an encounter victim, are being pressurised by the police to leave out findings that indicate that the skirmish with the gansster was staged.

Post-mortem carried out at JJ Coroners Court on Abdul Kadir alias Kalia, who was killed by a special squad led by Assistant Police Inspector Pradeep Sharma on Friday afternoon at Andheri (east), has revealed blackening of skin around a bullet mark on his throat.

This, doctors say, indicates that the shot was taken from less than two feet and contradicts police version that they fired at Kadir in self defence. For, if Kadir was shooting, how was it possible for anybody to go so close to him and take a shot at his neck?

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Sources at JJ hospital said yesterday a police officer from Andheri police station called Dr U S Patil – one of the two surgeons who conducted the post-mortem – and asked him to drop the mention of the blacking of skin from the report. Whencontacted today by Express Newsline, Dr Patil confirmed that a police officer had made enquiries about the post-mortem report with him. But the medical officer refused to disclose the nature of the conversation and only said that he would be submitting the report this week.

The special squad led by Assistant Sub-Inspector Pradeep Sharma had shot Kadir dead at a busy junction on the Western Express Highway when he was trying to escape in a stolen car. Police maintain that Kadir and an associate of his, had opened fire at them when they (police) tried to stop the car. The police team fired several rounds at the duo injuring Kadir seriously. His accomplice, however, managed to escape. Kadir was later declared dead before admission at the Cooper Hospital.

When contacted today, Pradeep Sharma denied that the encounter was staged. He claimed most of the shots taken at Kadir were from a distance of 12 to 15 feet, but added that one of the team members may have sneaked up closer to the gangster and taken ashot. He said the encounter took place at a busy traffic junction and therefore there was no question of any foul play.

Mumbai police is already in trouble over encounters, and Kadir’s case could add to their woes. There’s a case being heard by the Bombay High Court regarding allegations of three gangsters – Sada Pawle, Vijay Tandel and Jawed Fawda – being killed in fake encounters. In fact, an inquiry conducted by Judge A S Aguiar – have found police guilty in all three cases. However, despite he indictment, the government has not set up any machinery to monitor police encounters nor have it heeded suggestions of human rights organisations that the post mortem examination of all encounter victims be either photographed for videotaped.