28 Wounds Found; Siby's Autopsy Puts Cops in Dock
KOTTAYAM:In a significant development in the alleged custodial death of Siby in Marangattuppilly, the postmortem findings have put police in the dock.
According to the postmortem certificate prepared by officials of the Department of Forensic Science at the Government Medical College here, a copy of which is with the Express, as many as 28 wounds, including contusions and injuries, were spotted on Siby’s body.
Though the report states the cause of death as “blunt injuries sustained to the head”, contusions on the body including on the back and inner aspect of the right heel and adjoining part of the sole, point fingers to a possible police torture, according to experts. Moreover, the report also noted a 19.5 cm fissured fracture on the right temporal bone, and along the lambdoid suture of the skull, which shows that Siby sustained severe injuries to his head with a blunt object or object having a broad contact area. “The important point which must be noted is that no laceration was spotted on the scalp, which means the injury was sustained from a broad surface or an object having wider area,” said a forensic expert. The report further stated that contusions were seen on the right side of the neck, back, inner and outer aspect of the right heel, back of trunk, left side of the back and healing wounds on various parts of the body.
Forensic experts denied possibilities that a mere scuffle would result in such a large number of injuries all over the body. The postmortem was conducted by a team of experts led by police surgeon and professor Dr K Sasikala and the report was handed over to Revenue Divisional officer of Pala C K Prakash, which was later forwarded to the National Human Rights Commission.
Siby was taken in to custody by Marangattupilly police on June 29 and was admitted to MCH, Kottayam, the next morning with severe head injuries. He succumbed to his injuries on July 11 after a 12-day long battle.