Chhattisgarh doctor demands Rs 10,000 per body for post mortem in Surguja child drowning case

Time of India

20-05-2025

Image used is for representational purposes only
RAIPUR: The bodies of two young children reportedly remained unattended for several hours at a primary health centre in Surguja district, as a doctor allegedly demanded
Rs 10
,000 for each post-mortem examination.
The examinations were conducted only after the bodies began to decompose and the matter gained media and public attention.
Five-year-old Jugnu Giri and four-year-old Suraj Giri drowned in a 20x20 feet pit filled with water in Silsila village, under the Lundra assembly constituency in Surguja, on Sunday afternoon. Shiv Giri, Jugnu's father, stated that Suraj was his younger brother's son. Shiv returned home early on Sunday as he could not find daily labour work, while other male family members were out for work.
Jugnu and Suraj were first spotted by their grandfather, Sudgir Giri, heading towards a water body dug by villagers for daily use. The children returned home after the grandfather's instruction. However, when the grandfather went out for some work later, the two children returned to the pit for a bath and drowned between 2 pm and 2:30 pm.
"My sister-in-law noticed the children's absence and informed me. I searched for them and found them in the pit.
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I immediately pulled them out and tried to remove water from their bodies by pressing their stomachs. Meanwhile, villagers gathered and called a govt ambulance, which asked us to wait for half an hour. Time was crucial for us; instead of waiting, we carried the children on a motorcycle to the primary health centre at Raghunathpur, situated eight kilometres from the village.
Silsila village is 100 metres from the Katni-Gumla national highway," Shiv Giri said.
Upon reaching the hospital, the doctor declared the children dead and asked for a post-mortem. The family was eager to perform the last rites before sunset following the custom and initially refused the post-mortem, as they did not want their children's bodies to be dissected. They returned home around 7 pm on Sunday, but performing the last rites was not possible that late. They informed the village sarpanch and chowkidar, who advised them to get the post-mortem done to claim a govt compensation of Rs 4 lakh, which requires official records from a post-mortem.
Shiv then contacted the police station, and the police also instructed them to take the bodies back to the hospital for post-mortem. On Monday morning, the family arrived at the hospital around 7 am. A nurse instructed them to place the bodies in the post-mortem room. The doctor arrived at the hospital around 9:30 am.
"Instead of performing the post-mortem, the doctor ignored us until the afternoon. The bodies started decomposing and smelling.
When I asked the doctor, he told me that he would do the post-mortem on Sunday free of cost as per govt rules, but it would cost Rs 10,000 each today. When the news spread, the media became aware of the matter, and public representatives intervened, the doctor finally conducted the post-mortem.
After that, we were not even provided a vehicle to carry the bodies home. We again carried them on the motorcycle," Shiv told TOI.
Meanwhile, Chief Medical and Health Officer Dr. P. S. Marko stated that Block Medical Officer Raghavendra Choubey would be suspended, pending the collector's signature on the suspension letter. Dr. Aman Jaiswal, who was posted on bond, has been attached to the Directorate of Health in Raipur.
The Surguja Collector recommended action against the doctor and directed a compensation of Rs 4 lakh each for the deceased children's families, Dr. Marko confirmed.
"Investigation into the matter is on, and action will be taken as per the investigation report," Dr. Marko said.