Do re-postmortem of whistleblower, says HC
October 5th, 2010
DC
Oct. 4: The Madurai bench of Madras high court on Monday ordered re-postmortem on the body of assistant quality control inspector Murugan in Thoothukudi who died on September 11.
With the opposition parties taking to the streets demanding a CBI probe into the “mysterious” death of Murugan, who worked in the civil supplies department, the CB-CID, which is investigating the case, submitted before the division bench comprising justices P. Jyothimani and S. Nagamuthu that it has sought permission from the local tahsildar for a re-postmortem.
The bench allowed the presence of Murugan’s widow Selvi or his relatives at the time of autopsy. A. Ramar, a rights activist of Kovilpatti, had filed a public interest litigation seeking a CBI inquiry into the civil supplies official’s death. The petitioner had accused the district administration of covering up Murugan’s death as suicide despite there being positive evidence from the postmortem report that stated that his body had injuries and contusions.
Having fought against corruption and malpractices in his department, Murugan, a dalit, had submitted written representations to the police and his higher-ups that he was facing a serious threat to his life and had also named the persons, the petitioner claimed.
He also charged the state government with concocting a story about his death to “silence the voice of the people” and to protect the real offenders indulging in ration rice smuggling. The state government had transferred the case from the Thoothukudi police to the CB-CID after Selvi’s agitation, alleging that her husband was force-fed poison for exposing high-level irregularities in his department, was supported by all the opposition parties led by the AIADMK.
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/chennai/do-re-postmortem-whistleblower-says-hc-947
THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS
EXHUME MURUGAN'S BODY, SAYS HIGH COURT BENCH
THE body of Murugan, the quality control officer of Civil Supplies Department in Thoothukudi, who was alleged to have committed suicide, was ordered to be exhumed and a fresh postmortem performed by the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Monday.
Murugan had reportedly taken stern action against smugglers of public distribution items, including rice, and brought some of them to books.
Meanwhile, he was brought to the Thoothukudi hospital by the inmates of a lorry on September 7, 2010 claiming that he had consumed poison. He died before admission to the hospital.
It was alleged that he had been poisoned by those whom he had apprehended.
The government transferred the case from the police to the CB-CID. At the same time, S Ramar, a social activist from Theerthampatti in Thoothukudi district, filed a plea before the Madurai Bench seeking a CBI inquiry into the death of Murugan. A Division Bench comprising Justices P Jyothimani and S Nagamuthu before whom the petition came up directed the Inspector of CB-CID to appear in court.
Inspector Rajkumar, who appeared before the Bench, in his counter affidavit sought permission to exhume the body of Murugan and submit it for a fresh postmortem.
The Bench admitted his request and directed that the body be exhumed in the presence of the tahsildar and that either Murugan’s wife or a relative could be present during the exhumation.
The petitioner Ramar was also permitted to be present, but they should not interfere with the work of the medical team, the Bench warned.
THE HINDU
Body of civil supplies officer to be exhumed
Staff Reporter
MADURAI: The Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Department (CB-CID) has decided to exhume the body of civil supplies official M. Murugan for a second post-mortem.
His death last month had sparked a controversy in Tuticorin, with his wife claiming it was murder and the district administration maintaining it was suicide.
The decision was conveyed to the Madras High Court Bench here, which was seized of a public interest litigation petition filed by a Dalit activist seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe.
The court was also informed that a requisition had been made to the Tahsildar concerned for exhuming the body.
Justices P. Jyothimani and S. Nagamuthu recorded the submissions and adjourned the case to October 18.
The judges permitted the relatives of Murugan and their representatives to witness the exhumation and second post-mortem.
However, they have been barred from interfering with the process.
Murugan, who was working as an Assistant Quality Control Inspector with the Civil Supplies Department, allegedly consumed poison on September 7 and died four days later.
His wife raised the suspicion that he might have been murdered for exposing corrupt practices in the department.
According to her, there were external injuries on the body, leading to suspicion that he could have been forced to consume poison after being beaten up brutally.
She refused to receive the corpse and staged a demonstration. She was arrested and the body, buried without her consent.
Expressing solidarity with the woman, the PIL petitioner S. Ramar and his counsel P. Rathinam contended that the truth would come to light only if the investigation was handed over to the CBI.
http://www.hindu.com/2010/10/05/stories/2010100562040400.htm
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