22 i CIVIL LIBERTIES The clarifications sought by the Government of Maharashtra and the suggestions made by the Government of Jammu and Kashmir were under consideration of the Commission. The States of Bihar, Gujarat, Nagaland and Keraia were still considering the recommendation. The Commission urged that they take action on this matter without further delay. Minimum Kit for Autopsies 3^0 A Committee, headed by Dr Justice K. Ramaswamy, was set up by the Commission to discuss issues relating to autopsy procedures and to assess the utility of a Model Minimum Kit for Autopsies proposed by Dr Joep Toebosh, Consultant, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative. The Committee submitted its report on 7 February 2001. It contained the following concluding observations and recommendations: • There is a need that certain minimum basic facilities be provided for the proper conduct of post-mortem examinations. These include an adequate building, continuous water supply, a neat table on which to conduct an autopsy and appropriate instruments at the Medico-Legal Centre. As an integral part of this scheme, encouragement by way of monetary incentives should be given to the forensic doctor and the staff assisting him so that all the material particulars relating to medico-legal aspects are correctly and truthfully recorded. The notes of the autopsy doctor, containing all those details, would become part of the post-mortem report. At the Centre where the autopsy is conducted, the facility for chemical analysis should also be provided so that undue delay in submitting the post mortem report could be avoided. In many a case, the need to call for a report from a Forensic Science Laboratory can be avoided, unless the doctor conducting the post-mortem opines that the report of the Forensic Science Laboratory is also necessary. The chemical analysis report, done immediately after the autopsy, would from part of the record relating to the post-mortem of the deceased. • The need for a second post-mortem report is, at present, often being felt. The Committee recommended that the following rules be observed in respect of a second post-mortem: NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION