Siddhi Naik Case: GMC Passes The Buck Back To Police, Wants Police To Investigate “Manner Of Death”

PANAJI: While the expert medical panel of doctors set up by the Dean of the GMC, on the request of the Goa Police, to examine the  circumstances of teenager Siddhi Naik’s death has once again stated that Siddhi Naik died due to drowning, the medical panel has once again passed the buck back to to the cops, asking them to investigate the ‘manner of death’ or circumstances under which the teenager drowned.

The medical panel led by Dr Wieman Pinto submitted the report to Dr Shivanand Bendekar, Dean of the GMC a day before the Ganesh Festival.

The doctors report submitted to the cops once again reiterates that the teenager died due to drowning, but the doctors have left it to the cops to decide (and investigate) if the drowning was as a result of an accident (the girl falling into a rivulet or creek or water body, while walking on a ramp or bridge in a dazed or confused state of mind) or suicide or homicide (murder).

The medical team refused to pass any judgement or give an opinion as to the situation and circumstances under which the girl drowned.

This brings the case back to square one. It also adds weight to the complaint filed by the deceased girl’s father with the Calangute police station and forces the police to investigate the circumstances behind the girl’s death.

The deceased girl’s relatives have also alleged that a woman PSI who accompanied the body (found on the beach) in the ambulance, insisted that the doctor on duty at the government morgue should not preserve the body in cold-storage and instead conduct the post-mortem immediately as it was a simple case of drowning, so that the body can be handed over to the family members immediately.