AIIMS refutes doctor's claim on Sunanda autopsy

The AIIMS administration Wednesday categorically denied doctor Sudhir Gupta's allgeation that he was pressurised to amend the post-mortem report of Sunanda Pushkar, wife of Congress MP Shashi Tharoor.

"The AIIMS administration has come to know through the media report about the allegations made by Sudhir Gupta about he being pressurised to amend the post-mortem report of Sunanda Pushkar," said Neerja Bhatla of the department of obstetrics and gynaecology.

"The AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences) administration categorically denies any such allegations," she added.

"There was no attempt to change the post-mortem," she said at a press conference here.

According to media reports earlier, Sudhir Gupta, head of forensics department at AIIMS, said he was pressurised by top officials to show that Pushkar's death was "natural".

AIIMS clarified that Sudhir Gupta has filed a case before the principal Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) bench at New Delhi regarding the promotion of another member of the faculty of forensic medicine.

"This case is sub-judice and final decision of the honourable CAT is awaited," she added.

Amit Gupta, AIIMS spokesperson, said Sudhir Gupta is still the head of AIIMS' forensic department and there was no pressure on him from the AIIMS administration.

"A letter has come from the union health ministry seeking explanation on the matter. A reply has been prepared and it will be send to the ministry," Gupta said.

Pushkar was found dead in her room at a five-star hotel in Delhi Jan 17.