MADURAI: Ruling out claims of custodial torture as the reason for the death of L Manikandan, Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) P Thamarai Kannan said the college student died after consuming poison. He said the autopsy report, which was submitted to the RDO and the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court, clearly states the death was due to consumption of poison. “The police have secured the poison bottle from his house,” he said, adding further investigation would ascertain the reason for consuming poison.
He said the postmortem examination was conducted on December 5 with a team of two doctors in the presence of one of the family members of the youth. Detailing the incidents that happened on December 4 when Manikandan, a resident of Keelathooval PS in Ramanathapuram, was nabbed during a vehicle check, the ADGP said the student along with the bike he was riding was brought to the police station around 7 pm.
“During questioning, the police found that he was a college student and he did not have any documents related to the two-wheeler. Hence, the police alerted his mother, Ramalakhsmi, and she took her son home later. The CCTV cameras installed in the police station recorded all the events, including how Manikandan was brought to the police station, how the questioning was carried out and how he left the station with his mother,” he said.
After Manikandan died while being taken to hospital on December 5, his brother, Alex Pandian, lodged a complaint against the police and an inquiry had been initiated by an officer in the rank of DSP (as against usual inquiry officer in the rank of inspector). The case was also referred to RDO, Paramakudi.