The Health Department on Saturday ordered a probe by a four-member expert committee into the death of Venkateshappa of Andhra Pradesh, who was found dead in the Mental Health Centre, Peroorkkada on December 4.
Mental Health Authority Secretary Dr Raju is the chairman of the committee and deputy DMO Dr Satheeshkumar is the convenor.
Medical College Forensic Medicine Department professor Dr Sasikala and Psychiatry Department head Dr P Anil are members.
Meanwhile Health Centre superintendent Dr G Sunilkumar was transferred and was replaced by Additional DMO Dr Sheela Joseph.
The committee was formed amid protests following the postmortem report which stated that the death was a case of murder caused by injuries on head and neck.
The committee has been asked to submit a report in two days.
Dr G Sunilkumar had submitted a report to the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court that Sureshbabu, who was lodged in the same cell of Venkateshappa, strangled the latter. The court had asked the superintendent to submit a detailed report within 10 days.
Venkateshappa, 60, was admitted to the Centre by Kilimanoor police. Police had taken Venkateshappa,who was found wandering, into custody on November 30.
He was housed in the centre following a court order as he was mentally unstable. The case will be handed over to the Peroorkada police soon.
‘Register Murder Case’
Meanwhile, CPI state secretary Pannian Raveendran has called for registering a murder case against all responsible for the death of an inpatient at the Government Mental Health Centre, Peroorkada.
He also demanded to order a judicial probe into similar incidents, which occurred here recently.
In a statement issued here, the CPI leader said that it was condemnable to trivialise the issue.
He opined that the inpatients at the mental asylum should be given the consideration of human beings.