Daltonganj: The SOP for conducting post-mortem examinations at night is allegedly being ignored in Palamu, prompting Rajesh Yadav, SDPO Sadar, Daltonganj, to remind police and health officials to follow rules issued by the state health, medical education and family welfare department in Feb 2021.In a July 8 letter to officers in-charge of police stations and outposts, sub-divisional police officers and the civil surgeon, the SDPO said recommendations for night post-mortem must come only from three authorised medical authorities: the principal of the medical college, the medical college superintendent or the head of the forensic medicine and toxicology department. The final decision rests with the DC.
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TOI has a copy of the letter.The SDPO said that despite this clear provision, recommendations in Palamu were being made only by the civil surgeon, calling it a direct violation of the SOP. Police officers were asked to ensure that no recommendation is accepted from the civil surgeon.Palamu civil surgeon Dr Anil Kumar Sriwastwa said, “I do recommend post-mortem examination at night, but only when I am put under extreme pressure by the relatives of the deceased.”The SOP fixes normal post-mortem timings from 9 am to 5 pm. Any requisition beyond this period should come from the DC or SP, with endorsement from one of the authorised medical authorities.