LAHORE: The Lahore High Court has held that it is the legitimate right of every person to know the cause of death of his beloved one and added that there is no time limit for disinterment of dead body and thereafter conducting post-mortem examination over the same.
The court passed this order ion a petition of Zainab Bibi who approached the court against the decisions of lower courts denying post-mortem of her deceased daughter Robina Bibi.
The petitioner claimed that Muhammad Aamer, Sakhi Muhammad, Nusrat Bibi and Shoukat Ali administered poisonous drugs to her daughter, who was pregnant, and she ultimately died in hospital.
The court said the petitioner being mother is legal heir of the deceased who wants exhumation and autopsy of dead body of her daughter; therefore, she has every right to know the cause of death of her deceased daughter.
The court also observed that whether death of a deceased person has occurred in natural way or otherwise could only be resolved after conducting autopsy and added that the disinterment of dead body of Robina, as well as, autopsy over her dead body will secure the ends of justice.
The court set aside the impugned orders and observed that they are not sustainable in the eyes of law.
The court; therefore, directed the magistrate Depalpur and medical superintendent DHQ Okara to make arrangements for disinterment of corpse of Robina and conducting post-mortem examination over the same.
The court also directed that the District Police Officer, Okara, will ensure provision of police assistance as and when required by the magistrate for compliance of this order.
The court also observed that exhumation of dead body and thereafter post-mortem examination over the same would even save interest of the proposed accused persons because if post mortem examination report negates unnatural death, then it would exonerate them forever, the court added.
The court said that if dead body of any deceased person has been buried without carrying out autopsy and suspicion has been raised qua said death, then allowing disinterment/ exhumation of dead body for the purpose of autopsy is a reasonable approach and even no time limit has been provided by the statute/ medical jurisprudence in this regard, the court concluded.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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