Calcutta HC orders post mortem of CPI-M activist

The Calcutta High Court today directed the state-run SSKM Hospital to conduct post mortem of a CPI(M) activist, who had succumbed to his head injuries at a hospital here on Sunday.
Sabita Basu, sister of deceased Salil Basu, prayed for the post mortem claiming that her brother had suffered injury during the Left Front's march to secretariat on May 22 when several political activists and policemen were injured in clashes at different places in the city.
The city police has, however, denied that Basu was injured during the clashes and said that according to the hospital records, he suffered head injuries after he fell in his bathroom and was admitted to the state-run R G Kar Hospital on May 25.

Basu died on June 4.
Petitioner's counsel Bikash Bhattacharya submitted before Justice Joymalyo Bagchi that a post mortem was required to find out the reason for Basu's hemorrhagic stroke, which was said to be in the death certificate as cause of his death.
The state counsel, who at the outset opposed the petition, later agreed to a post mortem examination.

Justice Bagchi, after hearing both the parties, directed the surgeon superintendent of state-run SSKM Hospital to conduct the post mortem and a make video recording of the process.
The court also directed the commissioner of Kolkata Police to depute an officer not below the rank of assistant commissioner of police to take possession of the body from the family and produce the same before the surgeon superintendent of the hospital.

The court directed the state to submit a report before it on June 12.