Bombay High Court
Dr. Shilpa W/O Sandeep Kotak vs The State Of Maharashtra, Thr. Pso, Ps ... on 29 August, 2022
Author: Avinash G. Gharote
Bench: Avinash G. Gharote
APL 561 of 2022.odt
1
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY
NAGPUR BENCH AT NAGPUR
CRIMINAL APPLICATION (APL) NO.561/2022
APPLICANT : Dr. Shilpa W/o Sandeep Kotak
Aged about 50 years, Occ : Medical
Practitioner, R/o Gaurakshan Road,
Akola, Tq. And Distt. Akola.
...VERSUS...
RESPONDENT : The State of Maharashtra,
Through P.S.O. P.S. Khadan, Akola,
Tq. And District : Akola.
WITH
CRIMINAL APPLICATION (APL) NO.562/2022
APPLICANT : Dr. Kiran W/o Satish Gupta
Aged about 57 years, Occ : Medical
Practitioner, R/o Gupta Hospital, Ram Nagar,
Akola, Tq. And Distt. Akola
...VERSUS...
RESPONDENT : The State of Maharashtra,
Through P.S.O. P.S. Khadan, Akola,
Tq. And District : Akola.
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Shri Anil S. Mardikar, Sr. Advocate assisted by Shri V.R. Deshpande, Advocate for
applicant in both applications
Mrs. M.H. Deshmukh, APP for respondent/State in both applications
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CORAM : AVINASH G. GHAROTE, J.
Judgment reserved on : 06/05/2022
Judgment pronounced on : 29/08/2022
APL 561 of 2022.odt
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JUDGMENT
1. Heard Shri Anil S. Mardikar, learned Senior counsel assisted by Shri V.R. Deshpande, learned counsel for the applicant in both applications and Mrs. M.H. Deshmukh, learned Additional Public Prosecutor for the respondent/State. Heard. Admit. Taken up for final disposal with the consent of the learned counsel for the rival parties.
2. The criminal applications, challenge the common order dated 06/05/2019, whereby the applications filed by the applicants, who are accused nos.1 and 2, for discharge under Section 239 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, have been rejected by the learned Judicial Magistrate First Class, Akola and so also the judgment dated 25/01/2022 passed by the learned Sessions Judge, Akola, whereby the criminal revisions filed by the applicants challenging the order dated 06/05/2019 have been dismissed.
3. The fact position leading to the present criminal applications is as under :
APL 561 of 2022.odt 3 The applicant in Criminal Application No.562/2022 -
Dr. Kiran Satish Gupta and the applicant in Criminal Application No.561/2022 - Dr. Shilpa Sandeep Kotak are both Gynecologists who are practicing in Akola. The prosecution story is as under :
(i) One Anjali Pravin Bochare was pregnant and was under the treatment and follow-up of Dr. Shilpa Kotak. The tentative date of delivery was between 28/05/2012 and 30/05/2012. It is claimed that since Dr. Shilpa Kotak had planned to move out of station from 19/05/2012 onwards, she insisted the pregnant woman Anjali Bochare to get admitted in the hospital on 17/05/2012, for preponed delivery about 11 days prior to the tentative period.
(ii) It is alleged that Dr. Shilpa Kotak used her influence as a Doctor to convince the patient for preponement of delivery and got her admitted on 17/05/2012 and administered medication so as to trigger labour pains, due to which the patient in the late evening of 18/05/2012 after about 8:30 p.m. started getting labour pains and was shifted to the operation theater.
(iii) It is alleged that since delivery could not take place naturally somewhere at around 9:45 p.m. a cesarean was APL 561 of 2022.odt 4 performed by Dr. Kiran Kotak, for which Dr. Vijay Ahuja (Pediatrician) was also called.
(iv) Dr. Shilpa Kotak was in a rush to catch a train that was scheduled to depart in an hour and therefore had performed cesarean in a hasty and rash manner, which reflected in infliction of severe wound on the forehead of the child, resulting in craniocerebral injury to which the child succumbed.
(v) Dr. Vijay Ahuja, in order to absolve the Doctors, is alleged to have issued a false certificate stating that the cause of death of the child as severe birth asphyxia (intrauterine hypoxia due to tight loops of cord around neck).
(vi) Consequent to lodging of a complaint on the allegation that death of the baby was caused due to negligence of the applicants and other Doctors attending the baby, FIR came to be registered on 30/06/2012 (pg.25).
(vii) After the investigation was completed, chargesheet has been filed on 30/06/2013, charging the applicants amongst others for the offence punishable under Sections 468, 471, 304-A r/w Section 34 of Indian Penal Code.
APL 561 of 2022.odt 5
(viii) An application for discharge came to be filed, which, as indicated above, has been dismissed.
4. Shri Anil Mardikar, learned Senior counsel for the applicants contends that the chargesheet would describe that there was absolutely no negligence on part of the applicants. He also contends, that the principles as laid down by the Hon'ble Apex Court in Jacob Mathew Vs. State of Punjab and another (2005) 6 SCC 1 have not been followed, in view of which, the proceedings were infirm and therefore, the chargesheet needs to be quashed and set aside.
5. Mrs. Deshmukh, learned Additional Public Prosecutor for the respondent/State opposes the application and submits that the material on record, discloses the ingredients required for the offence alleged and therefore, this is a matter which requires trial and supports the impugned order.
6. Jacob Mathew (supra), holds as under :
"48. We sum up our conclusions as under:
APL 561 of 2022.odt 6 (1) Negligence is the breach of a duty caused by omis-
sion to do something which a reasonable man guided by those considerations which ordinarily regulate the conduct of human affairs would do, or doing something which a prudent and reasonable man would not do. The definition of negligence as given in Law of Torts, Ratanlal & Dhirajlal (edited by Justice G.P. Singh), referred to hereinabove, holds good. Negligence becomes actionable on account of injury resulting from the act or omission amounting to negligence attributable to the person sued. The essential components of negligence are three: 'duty', 'breach' and 'resulting damage'.
(2) Negligence in the context of the medical profession necessarily calls for a treatment with a difference. To infer rashness or negligence on the part of a professional, in particular a doctor, additional considerations apply. A case of occupational negligence is different from one of professional negligence. A simple lack of care, an error of judgment or an accident, is not proof of negligence on the part of a medical professional. So long as a doctor follows a practice acceptable to the medical profession of that day, he cannot be held liable for negligence merely because a better alternative course or method of treatment was also available or simply because a more skilled doctor would not have chosen to follow or resort to that practice or procedure which the accused followed. When it comes to the failure of taking precautions, what has to be seen is whether those precautions were taken which the ordinary experience of men has found to be sufficient; a failure to use special or extraordinary precautions which might have prevented the particular happening cannot be the APL 561 of 2022.odt 7 standard for judging the alleged negligence. So also, the standard of care, while assessing the practice as adopted, is judged in the light of knowledge available at the time of the incident, and not at the date of trial. Similarly, when the charge of negligence arises out of failure to use some particular equipment, the charge would fail if the equipment was not generally available at that particular time (that is, the time of the incident) at which it is suggested it should have been used.
(3) A professional may be held liable for negligence on one of the two findings: either he was not possessed of the requisite skill which he professed to have possessed, or, he did not exercise, with reasonable competence in the given case, the skill which he did possess. The standard to be applied for judging, whether the person charged has been negligent or not, would be that of an ordinary competent person exercising ordinary skill in that profession. It is not possible for every professional to possess the highest level of expertise or skills in that branch which he practices. A highly skilled professional may be possessed of better qualities, but that cannot be made the basis or the yardstick for judging the performance of the professional proceeded against on indictment of negligence.
(4) The test for determining medical negligence as laid down in Bolam case, WLR at p. 586 holds good in its applicability in India.
(5) The jurisprudential concept of negligence differs in civil and criminal law. What may be negligence in civil law may not necessarily be negligence in criminal law. For APL 561 of 2022.odt 8 negligence to amount to an offence, the element of mens rea must be shown to exist. For an act to amount to criminal negligence, the degree of negligence should be much higher i.e. gross or of a very high degree. Negligence which is neither gross nor of a higher degree may provide a ground for action in civil law but cannot form the basis for prosecution.
(6) The word "gross" has not been used in Section 304-A IPC, yet it is settled that in criminal law negligence or recklessness, to be so held, must be of such a high degree as to be '"gross". The expression "rash or negligent act" as occurring in Section 304-A IPC has to be read as qualified by the word "grossly".
(7) To prosecute a medical professional for negligence under criminal law it must be shown that the accused did something or failed to do something which in the given facts and circumstances no medical professional in his ordinary senses and prudence would have done or failed to do. The hazard taken by the accused doctor should be of such a nature that the injury which resulted was most likely imminent.
(8) Res ipsa loquitur is only a rule of evidence and operates in the domain of civil law, specially in cases of torts and helps in determining the onus of proof in actions relating to negligence. It cannot be pressed in service for determining per se the liability for negligence within the domain of criminal law. Res ipsa loquitur has, if at all, a limited application in trial on a charge of criminal negligence."
APL 561 of 2022.odt 9 It has been followed in Kusum Sharma and others Vs. Batra Hospital and Medical Research Centre and others (2010) 3 SCC 480.
In Dr. Harish Kumar Khurana Vs. Joginder Singh and others, (2021) 10 SCC 291, it has been held by the Hon'ble Apex Court that hospital and Doctors are required to exercise sufficient care in treating the patients in all circumstances, however, in an unfortunate case, death may occur. It will be necessary that sufficient material on medical evidence should be available before the adjudicating authority to arrive at a conclusion that the death is due to medical negligence. Even the death of a patient cannot, on the face of it, be considered to be medical negligence.
In Dr. (Mrs.) Chanda Rani Akhouri and others Vs. Dr. M.A. Methusethupathi and others, 2022 LiveLaw (SC) 391, after considering the aforesaid judgments, it has been held as under :
"27. It clearly emerges from the exposition of law that a medical practitioner is not to be held liable simply because things went wrong from mischance or misadventure or through an error of judgment in choosing one reasonable course of treatment in preference to another. In the practice of medicine, there could be varying approaches of treatment. There could be a genuine difference of opinion. However, while adopting a course of treatment, the duty cast upon the APL 561 of 2022.odt 10 medical practitioner is that he must ensure that the medical protocol being followed by him is to the best of his skill and with competence at his command. At the given time, medical practitioner would be liable only where his conduct fell below that of the standards of a reasonably competent practitioner in his field.
28. The term "negligence" has no defined boundaries and if any medical negligence is there, whether it is pre or post-operative medical care or in the follow-up care, at any point of time by the treating doctors or anyone else, it is always open to be considered by the Courts/Commission taking note of the exposition of law laid down by this Court of which a detailed reference has been made and each case has to be examined on its own merits in accordance with law."
The instant matter, has to be considered in view of the aforesaid propositions, laid down by the Hon'ble Apex court.
7. As narrated above, the patient, was admitted on 17/05/2012, eleven days prior to the tentative time of delivery. The patient, was administered medicine to induce/trigger labour pains on 17/05/2012. In the evening of 18/05/2012 at the start of labour pains at about 8:30 p.m. the patient was shifted to operation theater. As normal delivery was not possible, a cesarean came to be APL 561 of 2022.odt 11 performed on 18/05/2012 at 9:45 p.m. The notes of the Doctor, indicate that at 10:20 p.m. on 18/05/2012 a male baby was delivered by LSCS (cesarean) at which time the baby had three tight loops of cord around neck. The baby did not have respiration and heart rate at birth. The Apgar score at birth was 'O'. The baby was tried to be ventilated and injection adrenaline was given through cord, however, the baby could not be revived. The doctor's notes indicate the cause of death as "CRA - ineligible to resp. failure due to severe birth asphyxia (due to intrauterine hypoxia ? due to tight loops of cord around neck".
8. The post mortem report dated 19/05/2012 [Column No.17] indicates the following surface wounds and injuries :
"(1) Abrasion reddish brown colour of size 2 cm x 1.5 cm over right side of forehead just lateral to lateral end of right eyebrow."
Column No.19 of the post mortem report indicates the following surface wounds and injuries :
"Diffused subglial haematoma seen all over under the scalp with not associated any external swelling over scalp.
APL 561 of 2022.odt 12 Haematoma spread over both parieto temporal & partly over occipital region and haematoma more pronounced over both temporal region.
Intact - No fracture of vault or base seen.
Meninges intact & congested.
Underlying brain matter, oedematous and right cerebral hemisphere frontal and parietal poles shows contusions of size 2 cm x 2.3 cm and 2.5 cms x 2.1 cms respectively dark reddish in colour and left cerebral hemisphere also shows contusion over parietal pole of size 2 cm x. 2.5 cms, dark reddish in colour."
The post mortem report indicates the cause of death as craniocerebral injury. The post mortem report is given by a committee comprising of Medical Officer Dr. R.P. Bele, G.M.C. & H. Akola, Shri S.N. Hussaini, Lecturer Department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology Government Medical College, Akola and Dr. B.L. Lokhande, Medical Officer, G.M.C. & H., Akola. The same was forwarded to the Khadan Police Station Akola on 19/05/2012. There is thus a contradiction in respect of the cause of death as certified by the Doctor and the post mortem report.
9. The police authorities, had solicited an opinion regarding the cause of death, in pursuance to which, the committee APL 561 of 2022.odt 13 comprising of two medical officers G.M.C. & H. Akola and a Lecturer in Department of forensic Medicine and Toxicology G.M.C. Akola, which was a different committee than the one which gave the post mortem report, has given an opinion on 04/06/2012, which is as under :
"Sir, We are hereby submitting our opinion in said regard is as follows.
(1) If umbilical cord coilled around accidentally during birth there is a broad continuous groove livid or red in colour usually forms around neck and in such cases death usually result from stoppage of circulations and lungs in such cases generally found in foetal condition. But in light of post mortem examination we didn't found any mark or groove around neck and lungs were not in foetal condition.
So that on post mortem examination we found nothing to opine that death has occurred due to compression of neck by cord.
(2) As cause of death mentioned in post mortem report (craniocerebral injury) details of said injuries mentioned against column number 19 (i) and (iii) such type of injury caused by hard and blunt impact."
The opinion was that in light of the post mortem examination report, the committee did not find anything to opine APL 561 of 2022.odt 14 that death had occurred due to compression of neck by cord and rendered an opinion that the cause of death is due to the injuries as mentioned in Column No.19 (1) and (3) in the post mortem report and such type of injuries are caused by hard and blunt impact. The opinion of this committee also contradicts the cause of death as certified by the Doctor.
10. The matter was thereafter further referred to an enquiry committee comprising of Dr. Nandkeshao Aswar, President, Member Dr. Anil Batra, Member Dr. Vinit Warthe, Member Dr. Mukund Ashtaputre and Member Dr. Shyam Shirsam. Based upon the medical papers, as provided to it, the committee opined as under :
"ckGkP;k 'kofoPNsnuknjE;ku MksD;koj rlsp psgÚ;koj vk<Gqu vkysY;k t[kek midj.kkP;k ¼Forcep/Ventose½ okijknjE;ku gks.kkÚ;k xqarkxqarheqGs >kY;k vlY;kph 'kD;rk ukdkjrk ;sr ukgh- 'kofoPNsnukr ueqn t[kek fl>sfjvu fMysOgjh e/;s gksr ukgh-
'kofoPNsnuke/;s ueqn dsysys e`R;qps dkj.k Cranio cerebral injury gs fl>sfjvu njE;ku gks.;kph 'kD;rk ulrs- Cranio cerebral injury gh lqyHk izlqrh njE;ku izlqrhe/;s vMp.k vkY;kl midj.kkpk ¼Forcep/ Venose½ okij d:u izlqrh djrsosGh gks.;kph 'kD;rk ukdkjrk ;sr ukgh- R;keqGs ckGkpk e`R;q gksow 'kdrks- izlqrh njE;ku Foetal distress vlsy rj Birth Asphyxia eqGs lq/nk ckGkpk e`R;q gksow 'kdrks-
:X.kif=dk rlsp 'kofoPNsnukps vgoky iMrkG.kh uarj vls fun'kZukl ;srs dh ckGkyk >kysY;k t[kek rlsp Cranio cerebral injury APL 561 of 2022.odt 15 g;k izlqrhnjE;ku gks.kkÚ;k xqarkxqarhpk ,d izdkj vkgs T;k lanHkkZr oS|dh; ikB;Øekrhy iqLrdke/;s lq/nk ueqn vkgs- loZ :X.kif=ds o dkxni=kaps voyksdu dsY;kuarj vls fun'kZukl ;sr ukgh dh mipkj djrkauk mipkj dj.kkÚ;k MkWDVjkauh fu"dkGthi.kk dsysyk vkgs-"
The report indicates that in a cesarean delivery, there is no possibility of injuries as indicated in the post mortem report being caused, but they can be caused in case of difficulty/obstruction during a normal delivery by use of instruments (Forceps/Ventouse).
This report thereupon goes on to state that craniocerebral injury is a possibility during delivery and the death has not been caused due to the negligence of the Doctor.
11. However, what is material to note, is that one of the Doctors, namely, Dr. Shilpa Kotak has given an explanation to the Medical Board on 18/08/2017 at 1:30 p.m., in which, she has stated that the LSCS, was started for the indication "Obstructed Labour with Failed Trial of Forceps with F. distress". This would indicate that an attempt was first made for a normal delivery using forceps, which having failed, a cesarean delivery was thereafter done. This APL 561 of 2022.odt 16 however is not reflected in the notes of the Doctors as placed on record.
12. The above position would clearly indicate that there are contrary opinions, expressed by various committees regarding the cause of death, considering which, this cannot be considered to be an appropriate case for exercise of the powers under Section 239 of the Code of Criminal Procedure for discharging the applicants as the matter requires trial. The impugned orders, depict that this position has rightly been considered by the Courts below. Jacob Mathew (supra) and other cases cited require the matter to be examined by a committee of experts before the Doctor and can be charged with negligence. In the instant matter, though in a normal case, the post mortem report is given by a single Doctor, however, considering the nature of the demise and the allegations made, the post mortem report has been given by a committee comprising of three Doctors, as indicated above. That apart, the opinion dated 04/06/2012 solicited by the police authorities is also by a committee comprising of three Doctors, which, in my considered opinion, would satisfy the APL 561 of 2022.odt 17 requirement as enunciated by the Hon'ble Apex Court in the case of Jacob Mathew (supra).
13. In view of the above position, I do not see any reason to interfere in the impugned orders, as this is a matter which definitely requires trial. The Criminal Applications are therefore dismissed. No order as to costs.
(AVINASH G. GHAROTE, J.) Wadkar Digitally signed bySHAILENDRA SUKHADEORAO WADKAR Signing Date:29.08.2022 19:00