Farmer's Death During Tractor Rally: Delhi High Court Issues Notice On Plea Alleging Anomaly In X-Ray Plates

The Delhi High Court on Friday issued notice on a plea alleging anomaly in the X-Ray plates of 26 year old Navreet Singh, who had passed away last year in the Republic Day farmers' protest rally due to the alleged overturning of a tractor.

Justice Rajnish Bhatnagar was dealing with an application filed in the plea moved by the deceased's grand father Hardeep Singh seeking a Court monitored probe into the incident, seeking to "know the truth" about the incident. 

The plea alleged that Navreet's tractor overturned only after he suffered an ante-mortem head injury due to a bullet shot on the head by the police.

The Court sought response of the District Hospital, Rampur, Uttar Pradesh who had prepared the X Ray report. It also sought the stand of Uttar Pradesh Police and Delhi Police.

Asking the counsel appearing for the petitioner to supply the copy of the application to the counsel appearing for the Uttar Pradesh officials, the Court listed the matter for further hearing on May 11.

This comes after the Court in March last year directed the Secretary, Health, Delhi Government to form a Medical Board to examine the X-Ray report in relation to the Singh's death. The said report was to be prepared by Maulana Azad Medical College in Delhi on the basis of Singh's X-ray plates handed over by the UP police.

In the application moved through Advocates Vrinda Grover and Soutik Banerjee, it has been stated that the Review Opinion Report prepared by the Medical Board returned a shocking finding, suggesting that the markings on X-ray plates were made after the X-rays were taken, different from the usual practice of have the numbers incorporated in the X-ray image by fixing radio opaque numbers over the film.

"That the observation of the Medical Board of Maulana Azad Medical College, Delhi, is a serious indictment of the manner in which the medical examination of the deceased was carried out in the present case. The X-ray plates have evidently not been prepared as per usual practice, and writing the name of the deceased by hand on an already prepared X-ray plate inspires no confidence and raises serious doubts as to the genuineness and sanctity of the said X-ray plates," the plea reads.

It adds that the post mortem report of the deceased makes no mention of any X-ray having been done on him prior to the post-mortem, and that no reference was made to the same by the doctor before providing his opinion with regard to the cause of death.

"If the established practice had been followed, it would have ruled out the possibility of any manipulation or switching of the original X-ray plates with dubious ones that may not be of the deceased Navreet," the plea reads.

It adds "That the above circumstances also point towards a mechanical and aimless investigation being carried out in the present case by the Respondent No. 1, who has not taken any steps or action despite the apparent anomaly in the X-ray plates seized by them from Respondent No. 4. Such a lackadaisical, directionless and unprofessional investigation can never yield the truth, and this is yet another instance where the investigation has failed to inspire confidence."

Accordingly, the plea seeks information as to whether the X-ray plates of deceased were prepared without following the usual procedure, also inquiring as to who conducted the X-ray procedure and at what time.

It also seeks the information as to under whose orders were the name and details of deceased were written on the top of the X-ray plates using a white marker, or if the same done without seeking permission. 

Title: HARDEEP SINGH v. STATE OF NCT OF DELHI