Legal Gridlock: Over Thirty Autopsy Files Await Signature of Missing Pathologist

In Bilaspur, the investigation into fabricated snake‑bite death certificates has taken an unexpected turn. The fugitive forensic doctor, Dr. S.N. Gole, who once headed the post‑mortem unit at SIMS, vanished, leaving more than thirty‑five autopsy reports in limbo.

Police records confirm that the missing reports are essential for advancing several criminal cases. The lack of official documentation is stalling bail hearings, insurance settlements, and even the closure of the families’ grief.

The dean of SIMS, Dr. Ramanesh Murti, emphasized that the law mandates the original examining doctor to sign off on the report. No other medical professional can legally replace that signature, creating a legal impasse.

Legal experts explain that the forensic report’s validity hinges on the examiner’s signature, a requirement enshrined in the Indian Evidence Act. Consequently, the disappearance of Dr. Gole has trapped more than thirty families in a procedural deadlock.

The controversy also resurrects a 2021 allegation of bribery against Dr. Gole, when he was a contract doctor at a government hospital in Ambikapur. He was accused of demanding fifty thousand rupees for a post‑mortem, allegedly receiving ten thousand before being dismissed.

Authorities are intensifying the hunt for Dr. Gole, while families and legal counsel press for an emergency court order that could allow another qualified pathologist to issue the pending reports, thereby breaking the current stalemate.