Nagpur, May 03: The Maharashtra government has re-formulated the entire proforma for forensic medical examination of sexually assaulted victims, the Bombay High Court bench here was informed.
Government Pleader Bharati Dangare, last week submitted before the division bench of Justice D D Sinha and A P Bhangale here that it has prepared an instruction manual, age estimation proforma, requisition letter for chemical analysis, and format for final opinion as per the suggestions for proper forensic medical examination of rape victims. The move comes after a PIL by Dr Ranjana Pardhi and lawyer Vijay Patait on Dr Indrajit Khandekar”s study report titled ”Pitiable quality of Forensic Medical Examination of Sexually assaulted victims”.
Khandekar is working as an Assistant Professor at the Forensic Medicine Department at MGIMS, Sevagram. Previously on a court order, the government had created a new proforma for medical examination of rape victims. But it was challenged by filing various suggestions, claiming that the newly prepared proforma prescribed by the government is “inadequate and problematic.” Petitioner”s lawyers Kalpana Pathak, Kilor, and S Pathak contended that if such a proforma was used the whole purpose of the PIL will be defeated, continuing the miscarriage of justice. Following this, the court had directed the government to reformulate the proforma. Meanwhile CEHAT, a NGO filed an intervention application in support of the PIL.
Therefore, on the court”s order government called a meeting in December 2010 where all the important suggestions raised by Khandekar regarding the proforma and guidelines alongwith CEHAT”s suggestions were accepted. The government also constituted a panel under the chairmanship of Dr S D Nandkar (Prof & Head Grant Medical College, Mumbai) to deeply consider all the problems raised in the report and the petition.
——–PTI