KARACHI: Medical board submits report: Gichki’s death probe
By S. Raza Hassan
KARACHI, May 14: The special medical board, constituted to ascertain the cause of death of Muhammad Hasan Gichki, in its final report concluded that though the exact cause of death could not be ascertained, keeping in view the available data and the evidence of external injuries and fracture of fifth lumber vertebra the possibility of reflex neurogenic shock with fatal consequences could not be ruled out provided supportive circumstantial evidence could be found.
The board’s final report was submitted to Justice Zawwar Hussain Jaffery of Sindh High Court on Saturday. Justice Zawwar H. Jaffery is holding an inquiry into the prisoner’s custodial death.
Hasan Gichki, an activist of Balochistan National Party and a close relative of Akhtar Mengal, was facing trial in a narcotics case.
The deceased was brought to the Civil Hospital by the authorities of Central Jail on Jan 30 at 9.50pm. His postmortem (No. 27/06) was carried out at 3.45am after a lapse of six hours, the report pointed out. On Feb 2, the second postmortem (No. 28/06) was carried out, however, its histopathology report was issued after a lapse of 71 days, the board’s final report maintained.
Referring to the radiologist’s opinion, it stated that Dr Qamar S. Khan, Associate Professor at Radiology Department of Civil Hospital, after conducting CT scan of the deceased revealed that linear low attenuation, density angular line tranversing through lumber fifth vertebral body appeared to be fracture of the lumber fifth vertebral body.
Replying to a query of the special medical board, both radiologists Dr Qamar and Dr Saba Sohail stated, “The fracture appears to be fresh in nature since there are no sclerotic changes of the fracture”.
This type of lumber fifth vertebra fracture could occur in fall from height, forceful flexion (bending of body), convulsion of epilepsy, and ECT (electro-convulsive therapy). Usually, the severity of pain in this type of fracture varied from moderate to severe, the report stated and added that neurosurgeons and orthopedic surgeons agreed to the opinion about possible causes of fracture of fifth lumber vertebra.
The report also pointed out that the clothes worn by the prisoner at the time of his death were not produced before the special medical board and were later reported misplaced. Had the clothes been produced before the medical board, the marks of struggle, resistance, scuffle, stain if any could have been noted, it stressed.
The special medical board comprised of Dr Ghulam Ali, Dr Irfan Qureshi, Dr Perwaiz Makhdoom, Dr Asif Bhurgary, Dr Qamar S. Khan, Prof (Dr) Junaid Ashraf, Dr Akhtar Baig and Dr Nisar Ali.
