Two Madras High Court judges will view the videograph of the post-mortem on the body of E. Ilavarasan, who was found dead near a railway track last Thursday in Dharmapuri. After viewing it in the presence of medical experts on Tuesday, they are likely to decide on whether a second post-mortem is necessary.
The Bench, comprising Justices V. Dhanapalan and C. T. Selvam, was hearing a habeas corpus petition filed by A. Ramesh, who described himself as Ilavarasan’s friend.
The petitioner sought a direction to the Dharmapuri Collector to conduct the post-mortem either in the Government Hospital in Coimbatore or Chennai by a team of doctors in the presence of the youth’s parents and a doctor of the petitioner's choice.
N. G. R. Prasad, counsel for the petitioner, submitted that the report of the post-mortem conducted in Dharmapuri was not satisfactory. The administration had hurriedly concluded the autopsy without waiting for directions of the court. Hence, he sought a second post-mortem in the presence of a doctor of the petitioner’s choice so that lapses could be pointed out.
When the judges asked counsel whether he pointed out any lapses in the first post-mortem,
Mr. Prasad said the lapses would come to light only after a second post-mortem.
After hearing submissions of counsel, the judges suggested that the court decide after viewing the video of the autopsy done in Dharmapuri in their chamber along with forensic experts from Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital, JIPMER, Puducherry, and one expert of the petitioner’s choice.
Meanwhile, another Bench, comprising Justices M. Jaichandren and M. M. Sundresh, directed the Head of Department, Psychiatry, Government Dharampuri Medical College and Hospital, to provide necessary counselling to Divya, her mother R. Thenmozhi and brother N. Manisekar. They also said that such counselling be extended to Ilavarasan’s parents.
They said the District Collector should inform the immediate family members of Divya and Ilavarasan about the funeral, whenever it was scheduled to be held.
The Collector should consider their representation for attending the funeral of the deceased, taking into account law and order and other aspects.
