Cracked ribs, internal bleeding: What autopsy of Tiruvannamalai custodial death victim revealed

In the alleged custodial death of Thangamani, the post mortem report has revealed that the 48-year-old sustained multiple injuries and fractures mere hours before his death.

The post mortem report of a 48-year-old man who allegedly died while in police custody in Tamil Nadu's Tiruvannamalai district has revealed that he sustained multiple injuries and fractures mere hours before his death.

Thangamani, a resident of Thattaranai village, was lodged in Tiruvannamalai sub-jail after he was taken into police custody on April 26 for questioning about the sale of spurious liquor in the area. While the police claimed that the man had fits and was rushed to a government hospital where he died while being treated, Thangamani’s family alleged that he was tortured in custody.

Now, Thangamani’s post mortem report has listed three irregular red abrasions on his lower right arm, back of the right elbow and the back of the upper left forearm. According to the report, these wounds occurred 12 to 24 hours prior to the man’s death.

The autopsy also states that a bone deep, dark red contusion, (about 4 cm wide) was found on the back of his left hand, near the little finger. The injury occurred at the most six hours before his death.

The deceased internal examination revealed that he had Irregular linear incomplete fracture of two ribs on his left side, along with dark red contusion in the surrounding soft tissue. It also there was “extravasation of blood [internal bleeding] on the inner surface of ribs."

The report also suggests that some injuries to his ribs might be a resuscitation injury, though there was no conclusive evidence of the same.

Sources in the police department had earlier said that Thangamani suffered from the injuries when he had fits and the rib injury was from the CPR given to him at the hospital.