MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court gave one more chance to the father of a 27-year-old undertrial prisoner, who died in Palayamkottai Central Prison in April this year, to receive his son’s body, after he refused to do the same despite court’s orders.
The deceased prisoner Muthu Mano’s father A Pavanasam of Nanguneri had approached the court seeking various directions including action against prison officials responsible for his son’s death, video graphing of the post-mortem examination of his son’s body and CB-CID probe. Though the said reliefs were granted and the court directed Pavanasam several times to receive Mano’s body, the directions were not obeyed. Moreover, Pavanasam once again approached the court seeking Rs 2 crore compensation and a judicial inquiry under a sitting High Court judge.
When the petitions once again came for hearing before a division bench comprising Justices TS Sivagnanam and S Ananthi, Pavanasam appeared before the bench through video conferencing. He submitted that police excess was prevalent in his village (Vagaikulam) and hence he and the villagers were firm in their decision.
Hearing the same, the judges stated that the said reason was irrelevant at this stage and remarked that the petitioner’s action gives an impression that he has no respect or regard for the court’s orders. Since the petitioner’s counsel requested the court to grant some more time to the petitioner to take a decision, the judges adjourned the case to June 29. However, they warned that if the orders are not complied with by next week, the court would be constrained to direct the government authorities to bury Muthu Mano’s body as per customary rites.