Madras High Court directs State to permit second post-mortem of Villupuram student

In a major development in the Villupuram girls’ suicide case, the Madras High Court has directed the State to hold a second post-mortem examination of Monisa at a Government Hospital in Chennai. It also asked the State to allow a doctor of petitioner’s choice to be included in the team performing the post-mortem. 

Justice R Subbiah allowing the plea for a second post-mortem, said it is not a third party which is seeking the second post-mortem, but the victim’s father himself. Under such circumstances, it is pertinent that girl’s father is allowed to clarify his suspicion and that there remained no harm in holding a second post-mortem. 

The public prosecutor Shanmuga Velayutham, insisted that there was no need for a second post-mortem as the suicide note of the girls was intact and all the accused have been arrested. He said ordering a second post-mortem, would result in doubting the veracity of the doctors involved in the earlier post-mortem, which was also duly recorded on video. 

The judge noting that the public prosecutor’s objections would be recorded, said it was pertinent to clarify the doubt of the victim’s father and the second post-mortem could help the State in their investigation. 

KS Narenthiran Nayar, Superintendent of Police, Villupuram, in the counter, submitted that the investigation so far has not revealed that principal Vasuki, Director Subramaniyan, his son and their men forcibly inflicted injuries on the three girls, murdered them and threw their bodies into a nearby well. 

Pointing that around 36 witnesses have been examined so far, the SP said the police have arrested two of the accused in the case on Jan 24. During the interrogation, the duo had voluntarily come up with a confession about the incident and the same has been recorded. 

Monisa’s father represented by advocate R Sankara Subbu contended that there remain clear indicators that the girls had been harassed by the college management seeking more money. He also claimed that girls were found dead with their hands tied, causing suspicion that they were murdered. 

The first post-mortem report claimed that the girls died due to drowning and there were no visible external injuries on their body. The girls were found on January 23 and an alleged suicide not accused the college management of fleecing them.