KOCHI: The postmortem report of the two Maoists who were killed in the police encounter at Manjikandi in Attappadi points to the possibility of police spraying bullets indiscriminately on the deceased. As per the report, Karthi had suffered four bullet injuries on his chest while Manivasakam was hit by three bullets on his head and in the abdomen. A forensic expert said the injuries sustained by the duo clearly indicate that the firing was intended to kill the Maoists and was not an attempt to make them surrender.
The postmortem report of Karthi reveals that his death was due to multiple firearm injuries sustained on the chest, while Manivasakam died due to rifle firearm injuries on the head and abdomen. After examining the postmortem report and the statement of the doctor who conducted the autopsy, the High Court observed that whether it is a genuine or a fake encounter is a matter which has to be inquired into and investigated closely. The police officers have also the right to act in self-defence.
Whether they acted in self-defence or not is a matter which requires investigation, in spite of any assertions made in the FIR in that regard. The court further observed that there were certain lapses and omissions on the part of the investigation team in complying with the guidelines.
KS Madhusoodhanan, who represented the relatives of the deceased Maoists before the High Court, contended that it was a custodial murder, not an encounter killing. He pointed out that Manivasakam had suffered a fracture on his leg before his death. It reveals the possibility of custodial murder.
Though the police claimed that they had complied with all procedures in the matter, the court, while ordering a probe into the role of police officers, noted several lapses on the part of the probe team. The single judge observed that merely because the FIRs were registered not against the police officers, but the persons who attacked the police party, it does not mean that the cause of death and the circumstances should not be investigated.
The autopsy report of Karthi shows that only the thumb impression of the body was taken on a sheet of paper, while fingerprints of four fingers of each hand have been taken. It was doubtful whether the taking of fingerprints on a sheet of paper was sufficient. If there is any method of collecting and preserving fingerprints, that should be followed and sent for chemical analysis.
The court further pointed out that the Supreme Court had specifically directed that the police officers involved in the encounter must surrender their weapons for forensic and ballistic analysis. The case diary of the Maoist encounter reveals that only one firearm was used by a police officer and it was seized during the probe, that too, only on November 5. The prosecutor said the weapons have been surrendered before the commandant of Thunderbolt. Surrender of the firearm by cops before the commandant does not amount to compliance with the directions given by the apex court.
