KOCHI: The postmortem report of 38-year-old Twenty20 worker C K Deepu, who died at a hospital after he was brutally assaulted allegedly by CPM workers, on Monday revealed that he died of injuries sustained to his head. Though the report confirmed that the victim died due to head injuries, it also mentioned severe symptoms of liver cirrhosis. While the report concluded the cause of death was due to the injuries sustained to the head, it also mentioned “The liver (1119 gm) was shrunken with diffuse fatty changes and cirrhosis mixed nodules present.”
Medical experts said the condition of the liver mentioned in the report indicated liver cirrhosis. In fact, the report partially concurred with Kunnathunad CPM MLA P V Sreenijin’s claim that Deepu suffered from liver cirrhosis.
Though the police arrested the four CPM workers for allegedly brutally assaulting Deepu at Kizhakkambalam, the CPM district leadership claimed that the party had nothing to do with the incident and the arrested were innocent. As per the postmortem certificate issued by the office of the police surgeon, Department of Forensic Medicine, Government Medical College, Kottayam, there were two ante-mortem injuries on the head of the victim - Contusion 4x3.5x0.2 cm on back of head 4 cm behind the right ear and at the level of occiput and contusion 5x2.5x0.3 cm on back of head 3.5 cm behind the first injury.
The report, which concluded that the death was due to injuries sustained to his head, was prepared by Dr Jameskutty B K, Associate Professor and Deputy Police Surgeon, and Dr Jomon Jacob, Assistant Professor and Assistant Police Surgeon.
However, Twenty20 chief coordinator Sabu M Jacob said that the postmortem report had revealed the truth that Deepu died due to the head injuries he suffered in the attack. He alleged “P V Sreenijin, MLA, is the brain behind the attack on Deepu. He has been scuttling the probe and trying to divert the attention of the police. He purposefully made the statement that Deepu died due to liver cirrhosis. In fact, there was an attempt to rig the postmortem procedure by taking Deepu’s body to Kalamassery Medical College. Police decided to conduct the postmortem at Kottayam Medical College when we protested against the decision to do it in Kalamassery Medical College,” he claimed.
It was on February 18 that Deepu died at a hospital where he was undergoing treatment after being allegedly assaulted by CPM workers following a quarrel in connection with a ‘Lights-off’ protest organised by Twenty20. Deepu, who belonged to the SC community, was a resident of Ward 5 of Kizhakkambalam panchayat.