THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Noted forensic surgeon and former medical education director Dr B Umadathan died here Wednesday. He was 73. He died at a private hospital in the capital city Wednesday morning. He was undergoing treatment for quite some time. He will be cremated Thursday morning.

He was born to Prof K Balaramapanicker, a Sanskrit scholar and writer and G Vimala on March 12 in 1946. He took MBBS and MD from Thiruvananthapuram Medical College. He entered service as a tutor in the medical education department in 1969.

He had served as professor, departmental head and police surgeon in Thiruvananthapuram, Alappuzha, Kottayam and Thrissur medical colleges. He had also served as Government Medico Legal Expert & Consultant, medical legal advisor of Kerala Police and medico legal consultant of Libya Government.

He was the principal of Thiruvananthapuram Medical College in 1995. He retired in 2001 from the post of state medical education director. He was serving as the forensic medical professor and departmental head of Amritha Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre. He had authored many books including Oru Police Surgeonate Ormakurippukal, Crime Keralam and Kuttaneshwathile Vaidyashasthram etc.

The police had sought his help in many murder cases.

He leaves behind his wife Padma Kumari and children U Ramanathan, Dr U Vishwanathan and daughter in laws Roopa and Roshni.