Guwahati: Nagaon Police on Saturday arrested a professor from Nagaon Medical College and Hospital on charges of accepting bribes to alter post-mortem reports, officials confirmed. The accused, Dr Manoj Kumar Sinha, served in the forensic department and is accused of modifying autopsy findings to assist families in securing insurance payouts. Authorities alleged that when bribes were not paid, reports were deliberately unfavorable, hindering insurance claims.
Police stated that Sinha will be produced in court on Sunday and has been booked under charges of extortion and offenses committed by public servants. The arrest followed a three-month surveillance operation initiated after multiple complaints from the public.
Investigation Details
Nagaon District Commissioner Devasish Sharma revealed that the police and district administration jointly monitored Sinha after receiving several complaints over the past three months. “We had been tracking him jointly with the police, and for the last three months, numerous complaints were lodged against him,” Sharma said.
Sharma elaborated that Sinha allegedly demanded money from grieving families during autopsies. “While family members were crying during the autopsy, Sinha was demanding payment to prepare a ‘good report,’” he added. The monitoring aimed to gather concrete evidence before making the arrest.
Allegations of Manipulation
According to Sharma, the allegations suggest that Sinha manipulated reports based on bribe payments. “If he received money, the post-mortem report was crafted to enable the family to claim insurance. Conversely, if no bribe was given, the report was framed to deny any insurance payout,” he explained.
Sharma emphasized the seriousness of the offense, noting that post-mortem reports serve multiple purposes. “Soon after gathering evidence, he was arrested. Such actions will not be tolerated in the district,” he warned.
Officials confirmed that an additional commissioner filed the case after sufficient evidence was collected against Sinha. Established in 2023, Nagaon Medical College is one of the newest medical colleges in Assam, offering the MBBS program.
