The death case of government doctor Dr. Meenakshi Sood, 37, has taken a new turn after laboratory testing confirmed the presence of snake venom in her blood sample, and now the latest medical findings indicate that she died due to a snakebite and not poisoning, adding a new dimension to the investigation into her death.
ACP has confirmed the post-mortem report.
According to the laboratory report, snake venom was detected in Meenakshi’s blood.
The post-mortem examination had also found two marks resembling snakebite marks on her left leg, and the medical examination was conducted by a board, which sent samples of her heart, skin, blood and viscera for further testing.
An earlier report from Amritsar Medical College had ruled out a heart attack as the cause of death, but now with the laboratory findings now confirming snake venom in the blood, the police are examining the circumstances surrounding the suspected snakebite and are investigating all possible aspects of the case.
Dr. Meenakshi, who was posted as a government doctor at a hospital in Kapurthala, was found dead at her residence in Keval Vihar on the morning of June 10.
According to the information available from the investigation, her domestic help Rajni arrived at around 6 AM and when Meenakshi did not open the door and did not respond to calls, the matter was brought to the attention of local residents. Police were subsequently informed at around 9 AM.
When police reached the house, the doors were reportedly locked from inside. Officers broke a windowpane to enter the premises and found Meenakshi lying on the floor near the bed, half of the bedsheet was covering her body, while the other portion was on the bed. Her body had turned blue.
The fact that the door was bolted from inside has now become an important point in the investigation, particularly after the laboratory report confirmed snake venom.
The latest finding has raised a key question for investigators: how did a snake enter the room if the door was bolted from inside? The presence of a snake in the surrounding area is considered possible because there are gardens around the residence, however, the circumstances in which Meenakshi was bitten and whether the snake entered the room before her death are part of the investigation.
Police have not, on the basis of the latest medical finding alone, stated that the death was accidental or ruled out any other possibility.
Officials have said that all aspects of the case are being investigated.
The case had initially taken a different direction after Meenakshi's father, Pramod Kumar, filed a complaint against her husband, Dr. Piyush Sood.
Police registered a case under Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which deals with abetment of suicide and Meenakshi's family had alleged that she faced mental and physical harassment and that marital and financial disputes had caused her severe stress.
Her father also alleged that Piyush was involved in an extra-marital relationship with a nurse.
The family claimed that Meenakshi had checked hospital CCTV footage after becoming suspicious and that footage was subsequently handed over to police and a video allegedly showing Piyush with a woman also surfaced on social media, although the allegations surrounding it remain part of the investigation.
The family had also alleged an earlier incident involving an attempt to strangulate Meenakshi. This allegation has not been officially confirmed and remains under investigation.
Financial allegations had emerged as another major part of the case.
According to Meenakshi's father, she had taken a loan of around ₹35 lakh to help set up a hospital and the family had also previously stated that loans totalling around ₹45 lakh were allegedly taken in her name in connection with the vehicle and hospital-related matters.
Her father further alleged that when Meenakshi visited a bank while planning to purchase a house, she discovered a loan of approximately ₹2.5 crore in her name.
The family claimed that her signature was not present on the relevant loan documents and alleged that a forged signature had been used.
The family has said that the discovery of the alleged loan caused significant stress to Meenakshi.
Before the latest medical findings became available, questions had already been raised over the police investigation after Dr. Piyush Sood, who was named in the FIR, approached the court for anticipatory bail.
The confirmation of snake venom changes the medical understanding of Meenakshi's death, but it does not by itself answer the circumstances surrounding the death.
The investigation now has to establish how the snakebite occurred, whether the snake was present inside the room, how it entered despite the door being bolted from inside and whether any other evidence from the scene or medical examination can explain the sequence of events.
Police are continuing to examine the medical evidence, material collected from the residence and statements of people connected to the case and the allegations made by Meenakshi's family against her husband will also remain part of the investigation.
At present, the laboratory findings establish the presence of snake venom in Meenakshi's blood and the post-mortem found marks resembling a snakebite.
Further conclusions about the circumstances of her death will depend on the ongoing police investigation and other evidence collected in the case.