Custodial death: Counsel challenges post-mortem validity, urges appointment of independent forensic panel

In the alleged custodial death case of Scheduled Caste youth Akash Delison, the petitioner’s counsel, Henri Tiphagne, presented the observation of the victim’s post-mortem findings to the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Friday.

In the alleged custodial death case of Scheduled Caste youth Akash Delison, the petitioner’s counsel, Henri Tiphagne, presented the observation of the victim’s post-mortem findings to the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Friday.

The observation primarily highlighted post-mortem procedure’s deviance from the Tamil Nadu Medical Code/ National Human Rights Commission’s guidelines. “While dissecting, the usual incisions of ‘I’ or ‘Y’ shape were not made while starting the post-mortem examination. Another method of starting the post-mortem by dissecting the head first was also not followed,” it noted.

Dissecting the injured area first in post-mortem was not heard of in forensic practice anywhere in the world, it said, adding the procedure done at Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai started with the injured area (right leg) by making an incision from knee to ankle first, the observation said.

“Muscles were not dissected from superficial to deep. Blood vessels and nerves were not identified. Measurements of the contusions were not done accurately,” it added.

On dissection of internal organs, there was no evidence of injury as per videography in the brain and lungs, but the Post-Mortem Certificate (PMC) mentioned such findings, it said.  

Highlighting the mismatch in the police’s version of the injury and the PMC, Mr. Tiphagne said: “The height of the bridge is 25 ft. to 30 ft. The land below both sides of the bridge shows thick bush (seemai karuvelam). A person who jumps from the bridge will sustain extensive injuries all over the body, especially in the impact/ landing area. Thorn pricks should have been seen all over the body. But, no such thorn pricks were seen.”