Union minister trying to undermine Pehlu Khan murder? US, UK, India joint "probe" alleges medical manipulation
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| Union minister Mahesh Sharma |
A civil society investigation by organizations working in US, UK and India has alleged that there was massive "medical manipulation" in the so-called final report and the charge-sheet filed by the police in the now famous Pehlu Khan lynching incident on April 1, underlining, this manipulation took place at the behest of a top minister in the Narendra Modi government.
The investigation report, titled "How the Police are Protecting the Murderers of Pehlu Khan", says that the police records "betray an effort to weaken the case against the accused by challenging the finding of the post-mortem report, in a bid to prove that Khan died not of the injuries from the attack but of natural causes."
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| Post mortem report |
The report has been "endorsed" by Alliance for Justice and Accountability, and Dalit American Coalition, New York; Indian American Muslim Council, Washington DC; South Asian Solidarity Group, London; Citizens for Justice and Peace, Mumbai; Human Rights Law Network, and Jamia Teachers’ Solidarity Association, Delhi.
Conducted by a medical board of three government doctors from the Community Health Centre (CHC), Behror, the post mortem report revealed that Khan’s death was "indeed caused by the injuries that he had sustained during the attack on him", says the civil society report, quoting the findings the government doctors as:
“After careful examination of dead body by medical board, the fact[s] reveal that cause of death is shock brought as a result of ante- mortem thoraco-abdominal injuries mention[ed] in PMR [post-mortem] report sufficient to cause of death as ordinary course of nature.”
Conducted by a medical board of three government doctors from the Community Health Centre (CHC), Behror, the post mortem report revealed that Khan’s death was "indeed caused by the injuries that he had sustained during the attack on him", says the civil society report, quoting the findings the government doctors as:
“After careful examination of dead body by medical board, the fact[s] reveal that cause of death is shock brought as a result of ante- mortem thoraco-abdominal injuries mention[ed] in PMR [post-mortem] report sufficient to cause of death as ordinary course of nature.”
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| Dr VD Sharma's statement |
"And yet, the police and the prosecution are trying to negate the post mortem record with statements from doctors at the private Kailash Hospital in Behror where Khan had passed away", the civil socity report says, adding, this is proved by the type of statements doctors at Kailash Hospital -- where the death took place -- gave to the police with regard to Khan’s death.
Thus, "General Surgeon, Dr VD Sharma, in whose care Khan was placed, in his statement claimed that Khan was absolutely fine on April 2 and on the morning of April 3, before dying of a heart attack", and that "it was not possible for Mr. Khan to have died of the injuries he had sustained".
Thus, "General Surgeon, Dr VD Sharma, in whose care Khan was placed, in his statement claimed that Khan was absolutely fine on April 2 and on the morning of April 3, before dying of a heart attack", and that "it was not possible for Mr. Khan to have died of the injuries he had sustained".
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| Dr RC Yadav's statement |
Pointing out that But Dr Sharma’s statement is "riddled with many apparent and unexplained contradictions", the report says, "For example, Dr Sharma has also admitted that when Khan was admitted to the hospital on April 1 he had bled from the nose and complained of pain in the right side of his chest where an X-ray later found multiple fracture in the ribs. Yet, Dr Sharma said Khan’s blood pressure, pulse and breathing were normal”.
Further, "Dr Sharma admits that on his rounds the next morning he found Khan had been put on oxygen support due to 'difficulty in breathing'. Yet, Dr Sharma said, Khan's 'vitals, etc., were normal'. The doctor also said that Khan had been asthmatic and a heart patient, and had had stents installed in his heart: hence, his death was due to the failure of a weak heart and not from the injuries."
Further, "Dr Sharma admits that on his rounds the next morning he found Khan had been put on oxygen support due to 'difficulty in breathing'. Yet, Dr Sharma said, Khan's 'vitals, etc., were normal'. The doctor also said that Khan had been asthmatic and a heart patient, and had had stents installed in his heart: hence, his death was due to the failure of a weak heart and not from the injuries."
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| Pehlu Khan |
Similarly, "radiologist Dr RC Yadav said that four ribs had been fractured on both the left and the right side of Khan’s chest. Yet, Dr Yadav also said that a sonography, an X-ray and a USG [ultra sonography] revealed that the chest, lungs and abdomen of Khan were normal with no injuries. The radiologist, therefore, concluded Khan could not die of injuries."
The report reveals, the statements came from a hospital belonging to "Kailash Healthcare Limited, a company said to be founded and owned by Dr Mahesh Sharma, Union minister of state for culture, environment, forests and climate change", adding "A BJP leader, Dr Sharma has been an RSS member from the age of 14, according to his website, www.drmaheshsharma.com", and his "alliance with the gau rakshaks are well known."
Recalls the report, "In September 2015 when gau rakshaks lynched a Muslim, Muhammad Akhlaq, at his home in Dadri village of Uttar Pradesh, Dr Sharma called it an 'accident' and denied it was a 'conspiracy'. Rather, he alleged in an interview to The Indian Express, that Akhlaq had eaten beef, which provoked the Hindus to attack him."
The report reveals, the statements came from a hospital belonging to "Kailash Healthcare Limited, a company said to be founded and owned by Dr Mahesh Sharma, Union minister of state for culture, environment, forests and climate change", adding "A BJP leader, Dr Sharma has been an RSS member from the age of 14, according to his website, www.drmaheshsharma.com", and his "alliance with the gau rakshaks are well known."
Recalls the report, "In September 2015 when gau rakshaks lynched a Muslim, Muhammad Akhlaq, at his home in Dadri village of Uttar Pradesh, Dr Sharma called it an 'accident' and denied it was a 'conspiracy'. Rather, he alleged in an interview to The Indian Express, that Akhlaq had eaten beef, which provoked the Hindus to attack him."
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