RAMANATHAPURAM: An inquiry by the Revue Divisional Officer and the postmortem report state college student L Manikandan died due to poisoning, said Ramanathapuram district police in a press statement on Thursday. The youth's kin had alleged he died owing to torture meted out to him by police hours before his demise.
Keelathooval police had nabbed Manikandan on December 4 as he sped past them on a two-wheeler during a vehicle check. "He was brought to the station around 6.50 pm. Photographs and video of Manikandan standing with a machete were found on his mobile phone and he did not possess any documents for the vehicle," the district police said. He was later sent home with his mother and brother.
"While sleeping at home, Manikandan vomited, and his family phoned for a 108 ambulance. The ambulance staff reached his house and declared him dead," police added. An autopsy was performed at Mudukulathur government hospital in the presence of a government doctor representing the family and was fully videographed, the statement mentioned.
Further, a re-postmortem was also conducted at Ramanathapuram Medical College Hospital on December 8 in the presence of Paramakudi Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) Murugan, based on direction of the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court.
"According to the autopsy reports, there was no external or internal injury and the presence of pesticide was detected during viscera analysis. Also, the RDO, who questioned several witnesses, in his final report stated that the college student died only due to consumption of pesticide," the release added.