Kerala approves medico-legal protocol for prisoners

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government on Friday gave its nod for the medico-legal protocol regarding the procedures to be followed in conducting medical examinations of arrested persons and remanded prisoners.

A cabinet meeting accorded sanction for the protocol with amendments suggested by the Law Department, an official statement said.

According to the protocol, the application for the medico-legal examination of the arrested person or the remanded prisoner should be handed over to a serving medical officer in the state or central service.

Only in their absence, a registered medical practitioner in a private hospital can be entrusted with the task, it said adding that if the arrested person/remanded prisoner is a woman, it should be done by a woman medical officer.

The respective medical officer should ask them whether they were subjected to any torture or physical abuse while in police custody and record the information if there is any, it said.

Medical officer should not admit or refer the particular person (to any other hospital) without the consent of the police officer who submitted the application except in cases where the life of the arrested person has to be saved.

Meanwhile, the cabinet also took a decision to set up special courts in Thiruvananthapuram and Thrissur by creating 12 posts each for hearing cases registered under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the statement said.

Among other things, the cabinet also took the decision to appoint retired IAS officer A Alexander as the chairman-cum-managing director of Kerala Cashew Board Limited for the next three years, the statement added.