Dr Kartika Hanafi told the High Court that Madam Amutha Valli Krishnan, who claims that she was traumatised by a church 'exorcism' in 2004, was amused by the incident.

Two days after the alleged incident in which church-goers and priests had tried to drive an evil spirit out of her, Madam Valli said that the priests were silly and that she enjoyed the stupidity of the occasion, Dr Kartika testified.

Later, upon cross-examination by Madam Valli's lawyer R.S. Bajwa, Dr Kartika agreed that the woman was referring only to the early part of the incident, when she found herself surrounded by five praying church-goers after fainting in the Novena Church on Aug 10, 2004.

Madam Valli is claiming that two priests and six church-goers pinned her down and began chanting over her to 'exorcise' a spirit, an ordeal that left her with post-traumatic stress disorder. The defendants deny the allegations and say she is faking her symptoms.

Dr Kartika, a general practitioner at the Flame Tree Medical Centre, also said that Madam Valli later became depressed because of flashbacks and nightmares of the incident at the church. She also complained of being lethargic and unable to sleep.

Meanwhile, lawyers for the defendants told Dr Kartika that Madam Valli had also visited other doctors. Earlier in the hearing, they suggested that she was shopping for doctors to sign off on her claims of depression.

Mr Darrell Low, who is acting for three church-goers, produced a compilation of Madam Valli's visits to Dr Kartika's clinic and another clinic between October and Nov 1, 2004. She obtained 74 sleeping pills from the two clinics while being treated at Tan Tock Seng Hospital for psychiatric problems.

Dr Kartika said she would not have prescribed the pills to Madam Valli had she known that the woman had been given medication by another doctor.

The doctor also said that Madam Valli had asked for a medical report that did not mention her alcoholism, family problems and depression. Dr Kartika refused the request.

khush@sph.com.sg