HC directs SP to hand over body of DMK worker to relatives

The Madras High Court today directed SP Salem to hand over the body of a DMK worker, allegedly electrocuted in a clash with AIADMK activists before the December 4 Yercaud bypolls, to his relatives within an hour of communication from the Public Prosecutor.
Justice A Arumugaswamy before whom the petition filed by another DMK worker came up for hearing, directed the PP to give necessary instructions through the SP, to the hospital concerned to hand over the body to the man's relatives.
On Dec 3, the court had directed police to preserve till further orders the body of the DMK worker.It gave the order on a petition by a DMK member who alleged that Murugan, who died on December 2, was allegedly killed by rival political partymen and seeking a direction to police to treat it as a murder case.

The 35-year-old man was electrocuted after an AIADMK flag post, which he was allegedly trying to pull down during a quarrel, came into contact with a high tension power line at Yercaud.
The petitioner claimed police had registered a case of suspicious death and no proper investigation was done.
Police had told the court that the body was handed over to his relatives, following which the judge directed them to take custody of the body and take all steps to preserve it.

When the matter came up today before Justice Arumugaswamy today, the PP submitted the postmortem report done after it was recovered from the deceased' relatives as per the Court's orders and preserved in the mortuary.

Recording the submission Justice Arumugaswamy said, "This Court is of the opinion that when autopsy has been conducted by qualified doctors who have considerable experience attached to Government Hospital, the prayer of the petitioner to again conduct autopsy by eminent doctors cannot be accepted."
The judge further said the petitioner's act has to be deprecated and said this type of request cannot be granted.
The judge after hearing arguments, directed that the body be returned to the relatives concerned immediately as per the request by petitioner's counsel.