P.V. Guharaj, one of the first police surgeons in Kerala, died at a private hospital here on Sunday. He was 91. Dr. Guharaj, who was former director and professor of forensic medicine at Kozhikode Medical College, had been part of a series of forensic investigations into controversial murder cases. His finding that P. Rajan, a student of the erstwhile Regional Engineering College, Kozhikode, died as a result of custodial torture had irked several policemen and politicians during the Emergency period.
It was during his stint that the Department of Forensic Sciences was opened at the Kozhikode Medical College. Dr. Guharaj’s book, Forensic Medicine , continues to be an authentic source of reference for police surgeons and lawyers in various parts of the country. — Staff Reporter
