The Supreme Court on Tuesday did not agree to a plea by a man, whose 17-year-old daughter was found dead in a private residential school in Tamil Nadu, that a doctor of his choice be allowed to be part of a team of experts. The Madras High Court ordered a fresh postmortem on his body.
Violence erupted in Tamil Nadu’s Kallakurichi district after the death of a Class 12 girl on the premises of a residential school on July 13.
Taking strong cognizance of the violent incidents, the Madras High Court had directed the state police chief to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to identify the rioters and take strict action against them.
It had also ordered a re-postmortem on the girl’s body. But the petition of the victim’s father to re-involve a doctor of his choice for postmortem was rejected.
A bench headed by Chief Justice NV Ramana urged the girl’s father to include a doctor of his choice in the team of experts and list his plea against the High Court’s direction for urgent hearing.
The father’s lawyer said, “Please stay the postmortem again on the order of the High Court, it will happen today.”
“The High Court has constituted a panel of doctors to conduct the post-mortem. Don’t you have faith in the High Court,” the bench said, “Sorry. We don’t allow that.”
The top court, however, agreed to hear the father’s plea against the high court order on July 21.