HC allows second post mortem of girl student

The Madras High Court today allowed a second post mortem on the body of one of the three girl students of a college in Villupuram who allegedly committed suicide recently.
The court gave the order while allowing an appeal by the father of Saranya against the February 9 order of a single judge, dismissing his petition, seeking a fresh autopsy on the body of his daughter
The division bench, comprising Justices Satish K Agnihotri and M Venugopal which gave the order, directed that doctors of Government Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, Chennai, conduct the post mortem in this city if it was possible, based on the condition of the body.

If it was not possible to bring the body to Chennai, a team of doctors should go to the place where the body is buried, exhume it and conduct the post mortem at a nearby hospital.
The bench directed RGGGHC doctors to do the post mortem in the presence of Dr Sampathkumar, Head of Forensics Department and vice-principal of Sri Ramachandra Medical Collegeand submit a report to the state CB-CID, probing the case, within two days from date of receipt of the order.
The bench, before which the appeal by Saranya's father came up, said that after careful consideration and taking note of his plea and the fact that he ought to have subjective satisfaction on the facts of death of his daughter, it was of the view that "no serious prejudice will be caused to anyone by ordering re-postmortem and directing the second post mortem on the body of the appellant's daughter."

On February 9, Justice R Mala had dismissed the petition by the father of Saranya, a student of SVS Naturopathy and Yoga Medical Sciences College, who sought a second post-mortem.

The three students had allegedly committed suicide by jumping into a farm well, unable to bear 'harassment" by the college management which was accused of demanding "exorbitant" fees.
The court had in January allowed the plea of the father of another student, Monisha, seeking a fresh post-mortem on her body as he expressed doubts over the college's claim that the students committed suicide.
The petitioner's counsel had argued that as most internal parts of Monisha had been removed and the body embalmed, the real cause of death of the students would not be known. As all internal parts of Saranya were intact, a second post mortem would establish the real cause of death, he said.

Rejecting this, the judge had pointed out that internal body parts of Monisha were removed and sent for forensic and chemical analysis and a report was awaited. Another post mortem on Saranya's body could not be ordered merely because internal parts of Monisha had been removed, she said.
The judge directed the Public Prosecutor to file on Friday the status report in the case.
The CB-CID had on February 8 submitted in the court that the autopsy report on Saranya's body showed the death was not due to drowning.