TN custodial death: Post mortem reveals 44 external injuries, signs of internal bleeding

Madurai (Tamil Nadu), Jul 4 (PTI) In a shocking incident, the post-mortem report of the custodial death victim, a security guard B Ajith Kumar of Tamil Nadu’s Sivaganga district, revealed at least 44 external injuries besides signs of severe internal bleeding.

There were signs of internal bleeding in the brain, heart and abdomen region, the examination report claimed and indicated that Ajith could have died from a combination of causes, which included excruciating pain and catastrophic blood clots.

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 government hospital here.

The post-mortem which was performed for nearly three hours from 5.45 pm of June 29, revealed that Ajith Kumar’s body had about 44 external injuries on his legs, arms, abdomen, chest and at least 19 of these wounds were “deep and extended upto the muscle.” 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.

It said that Ajith Kumar had multiple abrasions with dark red scabs on his forehead, right cheek, eyebrow, right leg, left elbow, forearm, wrist, ankle and upper chest. Injuries were found on his right side and left side of his head.

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.

According to a forensic expert who did not wish to be named, the contusions beneath the skin on Ajith’s head with haemorrhages and bleeding over the brain could kill a person purely from the shock of pain.

“Even an ordinary murder would not have caused so many injuries,” Justices S M Subramaniam and A D Maria Clete of the Madras High Court bench, had observed after the preliminary autopsy report was submitted on July 1. PTI JSP ROH