Magistrate Oversees Autopsy of Priest Paramasivam Following Madras HC Order

A post-mortem examination on the body of 55-year-old priest Paramasivam was conducted at Government Rajaji Hospital on Tuesday in the presence of a judicial magistrate, following directions issued by the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court amid allegations of police assault.

The court issued the order on August 17 while hearing a petition filed by Paramasivam’s wife, Ayyammal, who sought justice regarding her husband’s death. Justice P. Murugan ordered a detailed judicial inquiry and directed that the autopsy be performed by a three-member panel of senior forensic medicine professors drawn from government medical college hospitals in Madurai, Theni, and Sivaganga.

Following the court directives, Madurai District Judicial Magistrate V Lakshmipriya commenced the judicial inquiry. The post-mortem was carried out at the Government Rajaji Hospital mortuary in her presence. As part of the inquiry proceedings, members of Paramasivam’s family were also questioned.

To preserve evidence, the High Court also appointed advocate Ayiram Sivakumar as a court commissioner. The commissioner was tasked with inspecting the CCTV cameras at the Chinthamani police station to verify whether they were functioning properly and to determine if any footage had been tampered with or deleted.

Paramasivam, a resident of Mela Anuppanadi, was taken to the Chinthamani police station on July 18 for questioning after a dispute arose with his neighbours. His family alleged that Inspector Vijayabaskar, Sub-Inspector Jayakumar, and constables Anand and Abdul Mohammed assaulted him during custody, resulting in bleeding in his brain.

Following the incident, Paramasivam was admitted to a private hospital on August 11, where he died during treatment on August 15. A video purportedly recorded prior to his death, in which Paramasivam stated that he had been assaulted by police personnel, was widely circulated on social media platforms.

Police authorities have denied the assault allegations, maintaining that Paramasivam died as a result of an accidental fall.