The father of 21-year-old Monisha, one of the three students of SVS Naturopathy and Yoga Science Medical College, Villupuram, who allegedly committed suicide, moved an urgent plea before the Madras High Court on Monday seeking a second post-mortem examination and for transfer of the investigation of the case to the CB-CID.
The petitioner, M.K. Tamilarasan, who is working as an unskilled labourer with the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB), also urged the court to direct the authorities to grant an interim compensation of Rs. 25 lakh to his family.
When the petition came up for hearing before Justice M.M. Sundresh, Additional Advocate General Arvindh Pandian argued that the petition was not maintainable as the relief being sought (to transfer the investigation to CB-CID) did not fall under the jurisdiction of the court.
Concurring with his submissions, the judge said, “I cannot hear the other two prayers when the main prayer does not fall under this court’s jurisdiction,” and directed the High Court registry to post the matter before the appropriate court on Wednesday.
Representing the petitioner, advocate R. Sankara Subbu contended that the autopsy of petitioner’s daughter was conducted without the consent of Mr. Tamilarasan. Hence, a second post-mortem should be done by a team of doctors, including a doctor of petitioner’s choice.
Opposing the contention, Mr. Arvindh Pandian argued that the entire autopsy was completely videographed. “We are ready to submit the videos. The court may first watch the videos and if they were not satisfactory, the court can consider the plea for a second post-mortem examination.”
As the petitioner submitted that the body of her daughter had been kept out of the freezer box in the mortuary, in a bid to compel him to take it back from the hospital, Justice Mr. Sundresan observed that the body shall be preserved properly by the hospital authorities.
Meanwhile, Vasuki Subramanian, SVS College administrator, surrendered before the Judicial Magistrate’s court in Tambaram on Monday. The court remanded her to judicial custody for three days and posted the matter to January 28.
A plea made by her for a special class cell in the prison was rejected by the judicial magistrate.
