Second Autopsy: The Indian Scenario

Abstract

A Medico-legal autopsy is conducted to ascertain the cause of death, time of death, identification  of the deceased, etc. in unnatural and/or suspicious deaths. However, the very purpose for which an  autopsy is conducted may either not be served or appear to be poorly served in many a cases. In such  times, another autopsy is requested and conducted on an already autopsied body commonly known as  second autopsy. Rules are still unclear & varying for medico legal autopsy at different places resulting in  unwarranted issues. This has resulted in a surge seen in cases of second autopsy or re-postmortem  examination. With no rules governing the conduct of even a second autopsy and the sorry state of  medico-legal autopsies as such in India, a lot of issues, wanted and unwanted, creep up while conduct of  a second autopsy.  An effort is made to draw attention towards the issues associated with the conduct of a second  autopsy in India and few suggestions proposed to overcome those difficulties.