V. Dekal, the forensic medicine specialist who last week led a team of doctors which conducted the post-mortem examination (on March 18) on Sadiq Batcha, aide of ex-IT Minister A. Raja, had tendered his resignation on March 3.
Dr. Dekal said on Monday he had done so to contest the Assembly election, and that the move was in no way connected with his role in the autopsy.
He followed up his resignation request to the Health Department with a petition before the Madras High Court as no orders were passed by the department. The court directed the authorities to consider Dr. Dekal's resignation letter, which had already been forwarded, and pass orders in accordance with law.
The orders should be communicated on or before March 24, Dr. Dekal said.
Principal Secretary of Health V.K. Subburaj said the department received many applications during elections from doctors claiming that they wanted to contest the elections. Often, this was a ruse to quit the public sector and join private medical colleges.
Therefore, such requests could be granted only after careful consideration of their career, and after ascertaining that no case or disciplinary action was pending against them. Dr. Dekal's request had not been processed as yet, Mr. Subburaj said.
Doctors who conducted the autopsy said, in preliminary findings, that Batcha had died of asphyxia.
Dr. Dekal had said earlier that details of the factors that led to the death would be available only after the visceral analysis was completed.
