City anchor: ‘Psychiatrist fabricated driver Santosh Mane’s medical report’

The prosecution in the Santosh Mane case has alleged that Solapur-based psychiatrist Dr Dilip Burate "fabricated" ST driver Santosh Mane's medical records to show that he was suffering from a mental illness. Mane had driven an empty bus recklessly through the streets of Pune killing 9 people on the morning of January 25 last year.

Public Prosecutor Ujwala Pawar on Friday cross-examined Dr Burate who appeared as a defence witness. The public prosecutor pointed out that the medical history of Mane issued by Dr Burate had not been properly filled. She also pointed out that the history sheet didn't bear his signature. Burate agreed the sheet didn't bear his signature but said he did not think he was duty-bound to sign every medical history sheet.

"When he came to me with complaints', I did not obtain any information about his previous illnesses, diagnosis or treatment. His chief complaints, sleeplessness, restlessness and palpitation were not specific but general symptoms. Such symptoms can be found in patients suffering from alcohol withdrawal. Also, I had not recorded on the history sheet my reasoning on diagnosing him with the illnesses based on the symptoms," said Dr Burate in response to questions put to him by the prosecution.

He also said that he had given Mane electro-convulsive therapy (ECT) several times, but had obtained permission of a relative only once.

The prosecutor pointed out that the treatment register of Dr Burate was maintained haphazardly.

"The register starts with serial number 4706. The pages carry serial number from 4706 to 4752 but after that it jumps to 5300 and then again to 4600. The register ends at 4706, the serial number with which it had started. Also, in several cases, the doctor had directly recorded the diagnoses without recording the psychiatric analysis of the patients," said Pawar. She alleged that the entry in the history sheet and the register were made 'afterwards and as an afterthought' to help the accused. "The entries are fabricated," alleged Pawar.

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