Judge oversees post-mortem as cries of custodial killing grow loud in Tirupur

COIMBATORE: Amid charges of custodial death of a tribal, forty-five-year-old Marimuthu, under the custody of the Forest Department, a post-mortem was conducted in the presence of a judicial magistrate in Tirupur Government Medical College Hospital on Friday.

Even as the post-mortem stretched for around three hours, Marimuthu’s wife Pandiammal said to the media that she noticed injury marks on the head, neck, hands and in several parts of his body. “My husband has been murdered. The perpetrators of the crime should be booked under the SC/ST Act and justice should be delivered,” she said.

Echoing similar charges, Marimuthu’s son-in-law, Muthu, blamed the Forest Department for not informing them soon after the arrest, and he alleged that they were told only after his death.

“The circumstances do not appear like he ended his life by suicide,” he alleged.

Marimuthu, who is survived by his wife and two daughters, has a previous case of ganja smuggling booked a few years ago. A native of Idukki in Kerala, the tribal was allegedly arrested for possession of a leopard tooth by forest officials of the neighbouring state and was handed over to Tamil Nadu Forest Department officials.

On July 31, early morning, Marimuthu went to attend to nature's call and was later found hanging in the toilet, claim forest officials.

His death triggered a protest by family members and villagers, who besieged the Udumalpet forest range office, alleging that he was tortured to death during the inquiry. After such allegations, a post-mortem was performed in the presence of Udumalpet Judicial Magistrate Nithyakala on Friday.