SC allows prosecution of 4 doctors for false autopsy report of rape victim

The Supreme Court upheld a High Court order that directs the government to prosecute four doctors, including the then district civil surgeon of Shariatpur Golam Sarwar, for preparing an autopsy report of a rape victim in 2011 that did not disclose all information.

The autopsy report on Hena Akter did not mention injury marks which were on her body.

Fifteen-year-old Hena was raped by her cousin Mahbub, 40, on January 23, 2011. In local arbitration the next day she was lashed at least 50 times upon a Fatwa (religious edict). Hena succumbed to her injuries on January 31 the same year.     

The three other doctors to be prosecuted are: then resident medical officer Nirmal Chandra Das and then medical officers Rajesh Majumder and Hosne Ara of Shariatpur General Hospital.

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam told The Daily Star that the government will take appropriate legal action against the four physicians.
On Monday, the SC dismissed an appeal filed by the physicians challenging the HC order.

On March 28, 2011, the HC in a suo moto order asked the inspector general of police, the deputy commissioner and the superintendent of police in Shariatpur to prosecute the four for the false post-mortem report. 

The HC came up with its order after the Dhaka Medical College Hospital authorities in its post-mortem report found injury marks on Hena's body. 

DMCH had conducted the post-mortem exhuming Hena's body, a week after her burial, following an HC order.