The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court (HC) has rebuked authorities over the submission of an incorrect medical report in a sensitive case. The presiding judge observed on Wednesday that the reality on ground is far different from the Tamil Nadu government’s claims regarding women’s safety and welfare. 

Justice Victoria Gowri made the remarks while hearing a petition by a man who alleged that he was falsely implicated in a case of deceiving a woman by promising to marry her.

Petitioner alleges he is being harassed by cops

The petition filed by the man mentioned that he was not in a relationship with the woman, and also denied allegations that he had promised to marry her. He further claimed that police officials had been harassing him during the probe, allegedly coercing him into marrying the woman.

During earlier proceedings, the court had directed authorities to submit a detailed medical report mentioning the woman’s health condition and whether she was pregnant. However, when the matter was heard again, the court was handed over a report prepared by a medical team from the Tirunelveli Government Hospital addressing a completely different issue. 

Court questions submission of abortion-related report

Instead of providing details sought by the court, the report allegedly focused on whether the woman was medically fit to undergo a termination of pregnancy. Justice Gowri expressed dismay over the apparent misunderstanding, noting that the court had neither requested an opinion on abortion nor sought an assessment concerning termination procedures. The judge questioned the circumstances under which such a report had been prepared, and observed that the court had specifically sought information regarding the woman’s present health status, as well as pregnancy, making the submission of an abortion fitness report both inappropriate and surprising. 

Subsequently, it directed the hospital authorities to begin a fresh examination and submit a comprehensive report prepared by a team of doctors from Tirunelveli Government Hospital. 

Comments on women’s safety

During the hearing, Justice Gowri also remarked on broader concerns pertaining to women’s safety in the state. She said while Chief Minister (CM) C Joseph Vijay has consistently reiterated shielding women and promoting their welfare, incidents such as the present case paint a completely different picture at the grassroots level. The case remains pending before the HC, which is continuing to examine the allegations raised by the petitioner and the conduct of the authorities involved.