40 Years in the Mortuary: The Real Story of Kerala’s First Woman Forensic Surgeon

30 October 2025

Most people shudder at the thought of a mortuary. But Dr Shirley Vasu, Kerala’s first female forensic surgeon, spent over 30 years inside one — uncovering truths buried in silence, and giving justice to those who couldn’t speak anymore.

Born in 1956 in Thodupuzha to a court clerk, Shirley chose a path few women dared. She completed her MBBS in 1979 and MD in Forensic Medicine in 1984, becoming Kerala’s first woman forensic surgeon.

By 2010, she had risen from tutor to Head of Forensic Medicine and Principal across Kerala’s top colleges. She trained generations of doctors to speak for the voiceless.

In 2011, she handled the Soumya case. Soumya was pushed off a train, injured, and raped. Shirley’s autopsy revealed the full brutality and became the backbone of India’s fight for justice.

A year later, she tackled Safiya’s case, a 14-year-old missing from Kasaragod. Knee-deep in slush in Goa, Shirley pulled out bones with her bare hands and pieced together the truth.

Her findings shattered lies. Safiya had been hacked and buried by her employer. Shirley’s testimony carried the child’s pain, silencing the courtroom.

By 2016, Shirley had conducted nearly 15,000 post-mortems. Each one was a promise that truth would not die with the victim. Her memoir, Postmortem Table, documented her courage and precision.

In 2017, the Kerala govt honoured Dr Vasu with the Justice Fathima Beevi Award. Today, she may no longer be with us but her legacy lives on — in every student she mentored, every truth she revealed, every victim she spoke for.