Lucknow: The mystery over the death of a
top medical officer in jail deepened today with a post-mortem
revealing nine injuries on his body even as opposition parties
amd his family cried foul and demanded a CBI probe alleging it
was "murder".
Cabinet Secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh giving
details of the report of the autopsy on the body of deputy
Chief Medical Officer Y S Sachan said the death was caused by
"excessive bleeding" and that prima facie it was a case of
suicide.
"Prima facie it's a case of suicide, but as judicial
inquiry is being conducted into the incidents the facts will
come out soon. As the judicial inquiry has already started it
is not appropriate to reach any conclusion," he said,
rejecting the demand for a CBI probe.
In the autopsy, nine injury marks were detected on the
body--neck, elbows, thigh and left wrist--besides a
strangulation mark on the neck. The post-mortem was conducted
within 24 hours after his body was found, Singh said.
"A sharp blade, which Sachan probably used to slit his
veins was recovered from the spot and has been taken as the
evidence," he said.
Sachan was found dead under mysterious circumstances
in the toilet of the Lucknow jail hospital last night with the
police claiming it to be a case of suicide.
The Opposition alleged that Sachan, the main accused
in CMO B P Singh murder case, was "murdered" to save two
former ministers of the Mayawati government and those involved
in the killing of two Chief Medical Officers.
The state government besides ordering a judicial
inquiry and suspended the jailor and four other staffers.
"Excessive bleeding is the cause of death in the
postmortem. The viscera of Sachan has also been preserved",
Singh said.
The cabinet secretary said the post-mortem was
conducted by a panel of five doctors in the presence of
Sachan's family members at mortuary premises and the entire
procedure was videographed.
"In fact the "panchnama" of Dr Sachan done by a
magistrate last night was also videographed," Singh said,
adding that on the request of the DyCMO's family the post-
mortem was carried out today this morning and not in the night
itself.
Ruling out a CBI inquiry into death of CMO BP Singh,
the cabinet secretary said there was no reason as of now to
order a CBI probe.
“All the accused of Singh's murder have not only been
arrested but they have also confessed to the crime. Sachan's
death is subsequent to the crime", he said.
Singh said that Sachan was arrested on April 5 after
large scale anomalies were detected in implementation of NRHM
funds after which court granted his police custody remand on
April 8 and April 13 but he could not be interrogated both the
times due to heart pain.
On Jun 10, during 24 hour police custody remand Sachan
is said to have told police that Dr BP Singh was after him due
to NRHM scams and later on Jun 17 STF arrested three shooters
hired by him to eliminate Singh.
Subsequent to the arrest of shooters, the police had
applied for the remand of Sachan on Jun 22 on which hearing
was to be done today but in the meantime he died.
When asked how Sachan reached first floor of bathroom
to hang himself for suicide after cutting his veins on wrist,
neck, elbows and thigh, the Cabinet Secretary merely said that
a probe was underway.
Singh said Sachan was found missing from his jail
hospital bed at about 8 pm last night during a head count
after which a search was launched to trace him.
Sachan was named in CMO murder case as the main
accused by police following the arrest of three persons by the
Special Task Force on June 17. Singh was shot dead by
unidentified persons on the morning of April 2.
Suspecting foul play, Congress said Sachan may have
been murdered.
"He (Sachan) was arrested and last night, according to
the government, he comitted suicide, but as per circumstances
it does not look like that it was a suicide. May be the
persons, who killed Dr (Vinod) Arya (another CMO) and Dr
Singh, also have murdered Dr Sachan," Congress general
secretary Digvijay Singh said.
Demanding immediate arrests of former state ministers
Babu Singh Khushwaha and Anant Kumar Mishra for their alleged
involvement in Sachan's death, Samajwadi party claimed he
was murdered to save these leaders.
"Both Khushwaha and Mishra should be arrested as they
are involved in multi-crore scam in National Rural Health
Mission (NRHM) funds. They along with cabinet secretary and a
senior official are behind the murder of Dr Sachan", SP state
president Akhilesh Yadav told reporters. "It is a big
conspiracy," he said.
BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "it is
evident in the circumstances that it is a case of murder not
suicide".
The party has demanded a CBI probe in a transparent
and time-bound manner.
An official spokesman said jailor of the Lucknow Jail,
a deputy jailor, a head constable and two guards have been
placed under suspension on charges of dereliction of duty.
According to Inspector General of Jail V K Gupta,
"prima facie, it seems to be a case of suicide".
Sachan's family too has alleged that he was murdered
and demanded a CBI probe. "Have you ever heard of anyone
hanging himself with his belt?" his brother R K Sachan asked.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, June 23, 2011, 22:25