Tewari’s death still a mystery due to ‘loopholes’ in postmortem report?

Some clear opinions in the report would have solved the puzzle, say forensic experts

LUCKNOW: Has the mystery over IAS officer Anurag Tewari’s death remained unsolved due to ‘loopholes’ in the post-mortem examination?

The answer seems to be in the affirmative, if experts of the state Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), Mahanagar are to be believed. According to them, some simple findings or clear opinions in the post-mortem report would have unravelled the mystery.

“The four doctors who conducted the post-mortem examination had not mentioned the reasons behind asphyxia (suffocation caused due to lack of oxygen in the body),” said a senior FSL expert.

He said the panel of doctors was asked to conduct the postmortem examination so that there could be a clear opinion over Tewari’s death.

This inconclusive finding has apparently confused the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case, he emphasised.

The FSL expert said the police’s initial theory that Tewari might have died of heart attack would have been cleared had the Nitro BT test been conducted during the post-mortem examination itself.

He explained that this was a simple test of sprinkling Nitro BT powder on the flesh slices of the deceased’s heart.

The expert said the slices would have turned blue, if it was a case of heart attack, but the doctors were apparently unaware of it and preferred preserving the heart for chemical examination instead of getting the clear opinion in the post-mortem examination itself.

“Due to inconclusive opinion in the post-mortem report, the investigation agency will have to wait for chemical examination of the preserved viscera, heart and blood by forensic experts,” he added.

Another forensic expert said the term asphyxia indicated a mode of dying, rather than a cause of death.

“Asphyxia is a condition caused by respiration blockage, or lack of oxygen in inhaled air, due to which the body organs are deprived of oxygen and fail to eliminate carbon dioxide, causing unconsciousness or death,” he explained.

“Asphyxia alone did not suggest that the death was a homicide case or not,” he added.

So far, the SIT was reportedly unable to reach any conclusion and it would record statements of the doctors’ panel to have some clear opinion about postmortem report findings.

Moreover, investigators will get opinion from other forensic experts by showing the postmortem report and its video recording.

To recall, Tiwari was found dead on the road under mysterious circumstances, near the State Guest House on Meera Bai Marg on May 17 morning.

He was staying in the guest house along with his UP cadre IAS batchmate Prabhu Narain Singh, who is currently posted as vice-chairman of Lucknow Development Authority for three days before the incident.

The state government had recommended a CBI probe into the case after Tewari’s family alleged foul play and lodged a case of murder with Hazratganj police station on May 22.

The SIT is probing the case till the CBI takes over.