Meerut Medical College: Three Doctors get life imprisonment for allegedly murdering 2nd-year MBBS student in 2004

Lucknow: Three doctors of Meerut Medical College have been sentenced to life imprisonment after a local court held them guilty for murdering a 2nd-year MBBS student back in the year in 2004.

The case that went on for years, finally saw medical practitioners being convicted by court and imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh each, apart from the imprisonment. The college authority namely the then principal of the medical college is also now going to face separate prosecution as the investigation will begin in examining her role in a possible cover-up and portraying the murder as a student suicide

The orders were given by Gurpreet Singh Bawa, Additional district judge (ADJ) 1 after the deceased medico's parent, who are also doctors fought legal battles for more than a decade to probe the death of the medico.

The case goes back to 2004 and concerned a 23-year-old medico, attached to Lala Lajpat Rai Memorial Medical College (LLRMMC) whose dead body was recovered from room number 38 of the college' hostel on July 6, 2004. Pronouncing it to be a case of suicide, the dead body was immediately sealed and sent for autopsy by the college authorities.

Soon, the post-mortem report was received that stated- "No external injury. Cause of death uncertain. Viscera samples preserved." However, the complainant, the parent of the deceased MBBS student and a practising doctor, who had observed the body at the mortuary, found that there was no mention about the cut mark on the deceased's lower lip, swelling on face and blackening on the chest in the report. He alleged that the cops and the college authorities neglected the details, pointing out to a coverup.

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The parents then began an interrogation with the deceased's batchmates, who informed them about a monetary dispute the medico had with the three accused doctors ( one-the deceased's batchmate and 2 senior students). Based on the information collected, the complainant submitted to the National Human Rights Commission(NHRC). Thereafter, the complainant lodged an FIR with great impediment and finally after four years, a complaint was registered on August 4, 2008, against the three doctors and the then Principal.

The case was preliminarily inquired by the local Medical police station and was later assigned to CB-CID. CB-CID produced a final report claiming that the deceased died due to excessive alcohol consumption based on the report of viscera samples received from the forensic lab, which mentioned about the presence of ethyl alcohol in the body of the deceased. Consequently, on 15 February 2006, the case was ruled in favour of the three doctors without pressing any charges, suggests a media report in TOI.

The closure of the report was challenged by the complainant in the court of Meerut CJM in December 2006. The court considered the objection and the doctors were summoned for trial. During the trial, a total of 20 witnesses were examined by the prosecution, a case which saw a number of twists and turns.

After the case going on for more than a decade, the court held the three doctors guilty of killing the fellow doctor and awarded life-time imprisonment and levied a fine of Rs 1 lakh each.

"Three accused - the batchmate, the two seniors- were sentenced to life imprisonment in addition to a penalty of Rs 1 lakh each while Usha Sharma, ex-principal of LLRM, will be facing a separate trial from January 16 next year, " Naresh Dutt Sharma, Additional District Government Counsel confirmed to TOI.

The court, in its verdict also added;

"It is observed that all efforts were made to twist the fact and give a colour of suicide or natural death to the homicidal death of the deceased."