The Karnataka police registered the case against the medical officer on December 26.
According to the news reports, the medical officer has been accused of failing to properly collect and preserve key forensic evidence in connection with the alleged gang rape of a 39-year-old woman home guard.
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The incident occurred on November 17, when the woman was allegedly gang-raped after her juice was spiked. The survivor was admitted to the district hospital, where the medical officer was on duty as the attending physician. Police later arrested four men in connection with the case.
Speaking to the Indian Express, the police said the doctor was required to collect and preserve medical evidence, including DNA samples and other materials, which come up to 16 items of evidence, for the ongoing investigation. However, he allegedly destroyed crucial materials needed for the case.
The police further alleged that the doctor made inappropriate and threatening remarks during the evidence collection process, reportedly stating that he could manipulate or alter the evidence at his discretion.
The case came to light when police attempted to retrieve the preserved evidence and discovered that it had allegedly been destroyed. The police obtained court permission on December 10 to register a case against the doctor. However, the registration was delayed as judicial approval was required since the offence is non-bailable.
A police officer said it looked like the doctor was “hand in glove” with the accused and had deliberately tampered with crucial evidence to shield them from legal consequences.
The medical officer has been booked under Section 238(b) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deals with knowingly causing evidence of an offence to disappear or providing false information to protect an offender from punishment.
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“We have issued notice to the doctor to appear before the police for questioning, and the probe will continue,” a police officer said, reports the Indian Express.
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