Madras HC orders to preserve six woodcutter's bodies

The Madras High Court declined on Friday to pass any orders on the petition for re-autopsy filed by the wife of a person who was shot dead by Andhra Pradesh Police on April 7, but directed six woodcutters' bodies to be preserved.

Hearing the petition for ordering another post-mortem examination of the bodies of six alleged rare red sanders wood smugglers, the high court asked the petitioner to approach the Andhra Pradesh High Court or the Supreme Court.

The court ordered the six bodies to be kept in mortuary till further orders.

Twenty alleged smugglers were shot dead by an Andhra Pradesh Police squad on April 7 in the Seshachalam forest of Chittoor district while allegedly cutting the rare red sanders trees.

On a petition filed by Muniammal, wife of Sasikumar, one of those killed in the shooting, the high court said it could not order re-post mortem examination as the matter is before the Andhra Pradesh High Court and a Public Interest Litigation is pending in the apex court.

The court ordered preservation of the six bodies till April 17 when the matter would be heard again.

On April 9, the court said it would not object if the Tamil Nadu government decides to go for another autopsy based on a representation from Muniammal.

Counsel for the Tamil Nadu government said they have no objection to the court ordering another post-mortem examination.

According to Muniammal, her husband's body bore injury marks.