Vardhan asks AIIMS to clarify doctor’s allegations
SENSATIONAL AIIMS forensic head alleges he faced pressure to alter Sunanda’s autopsy report
NEW DELHI: On Wednesday, Union health minister Harsh Vardhan asked the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) for a clarification on the allegations made by Dr Sudhir Gupta, head of forensic medicine, that he was “pressured” to doctor the autopsy report of Sunanda Pushkar, wife of Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram, Shashi Tharoor. The allegation was strongly refuted by AIIMS as “baseless” in a press conference. Pushkar, 52, was found dead in the suite of a south Delhi five-star hotel, Hotel Leela Palace, around 8pm on January 17.
Dr Gupta, who headed the forensic team that performed Pushkar’s autopsy on January 18, had alleged that he was pressured to prepare a report, suggesting she died a natural death. In his letter to the health minister, he alleged an illegal order was going to be passed to promote another doctor in his place as HoD of forensic medicine.
According to the letter, the agenda was hurriedly prepared with just three days left for the previous government to leave office. The intention, it argues, was to force Dr Gupta out from the post of HoD. “Sir, the malafide agenda to oust me from the post of HoD have genesis in cases of Sunanda Pushkar and Nido Tania, since I had taken a professional stand, which went against the vested interests of certain persons in AIIMS,” the letter alleged. He has claimed that he did not bow to pressure from senior persons in AIIMS and a UPA minister, and stated in his report that Pushkar died due to drug poisoning, which could be “suicidal or homicidal”.
Admitting that the ministry of health and family welfare had received a letter from the forensic head of AIIMS, complaining of an attempt to remove him from the post of HoD, Vardhan said that he had sought a report from the AIIMS director.