Magisterial inquiry into Gudiyattam custodial death begins
VELLORE: A magisterial inquiry began on Sunday into the alleged suicide of K Mahendiran (55) who was found hanging inside a toilet at the Gudiyattam taluk police station on Saturday.
The police registered a case under Section 176 (1A) (I) (inquiry by magistrate into cause of death) of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
Mahendiran's body was brought to the Government Vellore Medical College Hospital where an autopsy was performed on Sunday. Police personnel were deployed at the hospital to prevent any untoward incident.
Police officials said the reason for Mahendiran's death has not been established.
Mahendiran ended up at the police station after the police came to his house on Friday evening in search of one of his two sons - Ajithkumar - in connection with a fake gold coin cheating case. As Ajithkumar was not at home, the police picked up his elder brother Pandian.
Later that night, Mahendiran took Ajithkumar to the station, where they were allegedly detained.
On Friday, the Gudiyattam taluk police registered a case under Section 420 of the IPC, based on a complaint lodged by M Madhaiyan (51) of Thenkanikottai in Krishnagiri district.
The police identified three of the four accused - Saravanan, Karthi, and Kumar. Madhaiyan, in his complaint, had said that a gang had taken ` 24.5 lakh from him on promise of giving him gold coins. However, it had duped him by giving fake coins.
The police zeroed in on Ajithkumar by checking the call list on an abandoned mobile phone at the spot where the gang handed over the fake coins to Madhaiyan.