In a moment that felt straight out of a legal thriller, a 60-year-old woman accused of murdering her husband left the Madhya Pradesh High Court visibly stunned when she spat up scientific facts in her defence. The case has since been labelled one of the most unusual cases in Indian court, and a video clip from the sensational case has taken social media by storm. Netizens are in awe of Mamta’s presence of mind and logical refutation of post-mortem reports, sparking a comparison of the courtroom drama to that of the popular American drama series, Breaking Bad.
Retired chemistry professor dismantles post-mortem findings in MP High Court
The dramatic courtroom exchange took place at the Jabalpur Bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court. 60-year-old Dr Mamta Pathak was accused of murdering her husband, Neeraj Pathak, through electrocution after allegedly giving him a strong dose of sleeping pills. In the now-viral courtroom video, the MP High Court judge, Justice Vivek Agarwal, is seen posing a pointed question about the post-mortem findings of Neeraj Pathak to the accused, Mamta. Justice Agarwal asks:
“You are accused of murdering your husband by electrocution. The doctor who conducted the post-mortem said that the body had clear signs of being electrocuted. What do you have to say about the post-mortem’s findings?”
However, what followed was nothing short of a cinematic moment. Pathak, clad in a white saree, was ready with her answers. The 60-year-old calmly countered the medical report, explaining that postmortem rooms can never visually distinguish between thermal and electric burns. Mamta went on to explain with complex scientific details that such a distinction could only be made after thorough lab testing and not simply by sight. Dr Mamta Pathak explained:
“Sir, it is not possible to differentiate between thermal burn marks and electric burn marks in a post-mortem room. When current flows, volatilisation of atoms… particles of the metal get deposited in the tissue. When it goes to the lab, they remove the burn mark, separate the particles, and dissolve them with chemicals to determine whether…”
The judge, now visibly surprised at her deep subject knowledge, interrupted her mid-speech and asked, “Are you a chemistry professor?” to which Mamta replied with a simple “Yes.”
Who is Mamta Pathak?
Mamta Pathak is a former assistant professor of chemistry who was convicted in 2022 for the alleged premeditated murder of her husband, Dr Neeraj Pathak, a retired government doctor. According to the police charge sheet, Mamta gave him a strong dose of sleeping pills before allegedly electrocuting him on the night of April 29, 2021. She left for Jhansi immediately afterwards, only to return two days later, reporting Neeraj’s death as if she had just discovered it.
Image: Dainik Bhaskar
Netizens react to the courtroom drama
The clip recently went viral online, and netizens have been quick to respond to it, many praising the power of education and self-representation. Sharing the clip on X (formerly Twitter), one user wrote, “This is why it is said that education is very important, so that no one can take away your rights.”
One netizen tweeted that this was a “Breaking Bad moment”. Another user wrote, “I thought it was a scene from any Bollywood/Hollywood movie.” A third netizen agreed and wrote, “Haha, same here! It’s definitely like something straight out of a thriller or horror flick. Bollywood and Hollywood don’t miss a chance to get creative with these wild scenes!”
Guilty or not, Dr Mamta Pathak just gave the Indian courtroom one of its most unforgettable moments in recent history!
Read Next: Surveen Chawla REVEALS Director Tried To KISS Her Despite Knowing She Was Married: ‘I Pushed Him..’