Chennai Dalit man death: Preliminary post mortem report says no injuries on body

Two days after a 25-year-old Dalit man died in Chennai, hours after he was questioned by the MGR Nagar police in Chennai on July 13, sources said a preliminary post mortem report indicated that there were no injuries on his body. Doctors suspect that Sridhar’s death could have been caused due to undue stress and heart related issues.

Sridhar, a sanitation worker, was first taken to the police station on July 12 for an enquiry regarding a theft. He was asked to come again on the next day and was accompanied by his wife Manju. Shortly after he and his wife returned home on July 13, he complained of a burning sensation in his chest and was taken to the hospital. But the doctors treated him for gastric trouble and sent him home. According to his mother Meena, Sridhar was vomiting after he came home and was taken to the ESI Hospital once again where he was declared dead. He is survived by his wife and his 11-month-old daughter.

The Chennai police have issued a case under Section 174 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) and an investigation is underway. It is still not clear why the Chennai police did not prefer a judicial magistrate inquiry under section 176 of the CrPC to investigate the cause of death. In the last two years, this is the third instance in Chennai where an individual has died hours after they were questioned by the police.