KOCHI: The Crime Branch investigation into the death of medico Shamna Tasneem is moving fast even as the state level apex medical board which is looking into the aspect of medical negligence in the case makes slow progress. The CB team led by a DySP has of late taken the statement of Shamna’s mother, Shereefa Abootty at her house in Mattannur in Kannur. She told the police about her last conversations with the daughter on the night previous to her death and on July 18 noon when she was admitted to the Ernakulam Government Medical College and collapsed.
The girl told her mother that she was going to be admitted as she had to undergo some blood tests. Since then there was no communication and her classmates kept in touch with the mother informing about the latest developments which culminated in her death. The CB team also went to the Rajagiri Hospital where she was last admitted and interrogated the staff and doctors who were on duty. The CB team is also probing Shamna’s father K. A.Abootty’s allegation that she had already died at the EMC and she was admitted to the Rajagiri Hospital by the EMC doctors to escape blame. The CB team is learnt to have got some definite leads.
It is learnt that CB team may take statement under Section 164 of some of the witnesses including those in EMC before the magistrate to prove that the statements were not taken under the CB team’s pressure. The team is already convinced that there was an institutional lapse but is waiting for the report of the apex medical board to pinpoint individual lapse. “There was no definite intention to kill as in the case of murder, and it has to be proved whether there was any lapse. The medical board report is crucial here. We can conclude our investigation in a month from getting the medical board report,” said a CB official.
Meanwhile, the apex medical board has made only one sitting that too last month and has not bothered to meet since to discuss the case. The board is said to be under pressure to save some of the doctors who are involved in the issue. Former health minister P. K. Sreemathi MP on Sunday visited Abootty’s house at Mattannur and assured the father and relatives that every step will be taken to ensure justice in the case. After perusing joint DME Dr K Sreekumari’s report in the case, she is learnt to have opined that ‘most undesirable’ events are happening at EMC.
