DEATH OF CIPRIANO COULD HAVE BEEN CAUSED AFTER HITTING HARD SURFACE: DR. SAPECO

PANJIM: Dr Silvano Dias Sapeco, professor and head of department of forensic sciences of Goa Medical College, has told the Goa State Police Complaint Authority that the death of Cipriano Fernandes could also have been caused by the two injuries that he might sustained after hitting surface.

Deposing before the GSPCA on Monday, Dr Sapeco maintained that the death occurred due to head injuries number 6 and 7, as he had earlier told the court of judicial magistrate first class, Ms Shabnam Shaikh, and that they also might have been caused by blunt blows on head, which were caused 36 hours before the death.

He also said that the injuries were not visible to the naked eye add that he could feel that swelling of the hematoma, which was confirmed at the re-section of scalp. Thus the impact of blunt elongated object on the head has caused external injury number 6 and 7 which in turn caused internal damage to the brain (in the manner of swelling and congestion of the brain), he told the GSPCA.

"I say that the colour change on the skin could not be appreciated because of presence of scalp hair," he added.

Meanwhile, the suspended police inspector of Panjim police station, Mr Sandesh Chodankar has questioned the findings of the team of the forensic department of the GMC, headed by Dr Sapeco, as regards to the death of Cipriano.

Appearing before Ms Shaikh and making a case for his request for cross-examination of Dr Sapeco, Mr Chodankar disputed the findings of the forensic examination and seeking cross-examination of the GMC doctor. He told the court that if Cipriano had head injuries why they were not found when the CT scan was performed soon after he was taken to the GMC for treatment.

The suspended police officer also pointed out that as per the GMC records perused by him the doctor from the neurosurgery department had examined the deceased and certified that he had no head injury. He also said that CT scan had revealed that there was evidence of cerebral infarct. He also pointed out the histopathological and viscera reports did not suggest that the injuries leading to death were caused by blunt objects.

Mr Chodankar also pointed out that since no injuries were pointed out during the CT scan and subsequent examination by the neurosurgery doctor, the injuries that the GMC forensic department doctor was referring to could have been caused after the admission of the deceased in the GMC. He also pointed out that since the deceased was not treated in the neurosurgery ward was indicative of the "fact" that he had no head injuries.

He also told the court that the postmortem report indicated seven injuries, of which two were on head, which the forensic department team had stated were simple and not as the ones that could be fatal. Referring to the statement by Dr Sapeco before the JMFC that the death was caused due to fatal head injuries, he questioned as to why this was not recorded in the postmortem report.

The suspended police official also told the court that he on his own had sought a probe by the court and the sub-divisional magistrate to find out truth behind the death, even as he pointed out that the injuries could have been caused elsewhere but not in police custody. He also said the death could have been caused due to cerebro vascular accident and not due to trauma.

He also prayed before the court that records/notes of medical treatment for 18 hours during which time the deceased was treated in the GMC should be called for by the court assessed, which would help ascertain the final and exact cause of death.