The post-mortem examination of a 29-year-old temple guard, who died due to custodial torture in Sivaganga district of Tamil Nadu, has revealed at least 44 external injuries besides signs of severe internal bleeding.
The victim, identified as Ajith Kumar, sustained injuries to his forehead, eyes, right eyebrow, and tongue, apart from several contusions to his chest, abdomen, legs, arms, shoulders, gluteal region, and knees.
The report also noted haemorrhages over the pulmonary trunk, stomach wall and right lobe of the liver. HT has seen a copy of the examination report.
The 29-year-old working as a security guard at the Bhadrakaliamman temple in Tiruppuvanam was picked up by the police on June 27 evening for interrogation in connection with a jewel theft case.
The following night he was declared brought dead by police at the Madurai Medical College Hospital hospital.
The post-mortem which was performed for nearly four hours from 5.45 pm of June 29, at least 19 of these wounds were “deep and extended up to the muscle”. The report noted that he was brought dead to the hospital on June 28 at 11.15pm.
The death could have occurred about 12-24 hours prior to post mortem, the report by forensic surgeons of the Madurai Medical College Hospital said but did not specify the exact cause of death pending further histopathological examination.
{{/usCountry}}The death could have occurred about 12-24 hours prior to post mortem, the report by forensic surgeons of the Madurai Medical College Hospital said but did not specify the exact cause of death pending further histopathological examination.
{{/usCountry}}Petechial (pinpoint) haemorrhages were found in both parietal lobes of his brain and the brain tissue was congested indicating trauma to the head. Further bleeding was found on the back wall of the heart’s left ventricle and near the stomach region.
Dried blood stains were noticed over both the ears and a brown colour fluid over both the nostrils and right angle of the mouth, it said.
Kumar’s lawyer Henri Tiphange said the report shows some overlapping injuries, which means he may have had more than 44 injuries.
“…when it says the injury is up to the muscle level… is only possible by using blunt objects. When the body experiences an injury with a blunt object, the creatinine level drops, poisons the blood and reaches the kidney. This causes Traumatic rhabdomyolysis... That’s what the report shows,” Tiphange said.
While the report is interim, Tiphange said it “rules out rumours that he died of epilepsy and chest discomfort”.
“The CBI has not yet begun its enquiry,” he said.
Kumar’s death has led to a controversy over police excesses in the state after a video purportedly of him being assaulted in the temple was submitted in the court on Tuesday. The 31-second video, which was widely circulated on social media, purportedly showed Kumar kneeling on the floor and being beaten with a stick by a police officer in plainclothes.
Taking note of the preliminary autopsy report, submitted on July 1, the Madurai bench of the Madras high court observed, “Even an ordinary murder would not have caused so many injuries.”
The same day, chief minister MK Stalin, who holds the home portfolio, ordered the transfer of the case from the CB-CID to the CBI.
The next hearing on the case by the Madurai bench of the Madras HC is on July 8.