MAYILADUTHURAI: The postmortem examination of a 19-year-old Scheduled Caste youth who was found dead along with a 17-year-old MBC girl in a shed in Sathankudi was conducted on Wednesday after his family agreed to the procedure following peace talks with the district administration.
The youth’s family had initially refused to allow an autopsy, alleging that deaths were honour killing and the FIR be altered to murder and not unnatural death. However, the police maintained that the FIR could not be altered until postmortem established the cause of death.
The girl’s father was also arrested on Wednesday in connection with a complaint filed by the youth on Monday night before his death, alleging the man and his relatives assaulted and abused him using casteist slur.
The deceased, M Parthiban (19) from Pudupalayam and the girl from neighbouring Sathankudi, were in a relationship which had allegedly been opposed by the girl’s family. The girl’s body was handed over to her family after postmortem and cremated in Mayiladuthurai on Tuesday and the boy’s body was buried in Tharangambadi burial ground, sources said.
The administration officials also assured the protesters that the bereaved family would be provided government relief, a government job for an eligible member and a house-site patta if the investigation establishes an offence under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Following peace talks, the youth’s family gave consent for the autopsy.
