The 23-year-old man, allegedly abducted by a gang engaged by his fiancee Neenu's relatives, was found dead in a river in Kollam district on May 28.Kottayam: The post-mortem report of Kevin Joseph has failed to establish whether it was death by drowning or murder by drowning, and sees equal possibility for both. The police have decided to seek expert opinion on the certificate that the forensic wing of the Medical College handed over to them on Saturday night.
A final report is still awaited, which will come only after the diatom test that would compare water from the Chaliyekkara stream where Kevin's body was found and the water that was present in his lungs. An examination to find possible chemical substances in the body will also have to be done, before finalising the forensic conclusions.
Before the report arrives, the police will seek the advice of a medical board comprising doctors from various specialties in a bid to gather indications on the cause of Kevin's death.
The accused say Kevin had fled the car in which he was being kidnapped. The other possibility that the probe team is considering is that he was thrown into the river after he collapsed due to severe assault by his abductors.
Possibilities for death
• 150 ml water was found in one layer of Kevin's lung, and 120 ml in the other. If such water presence exceeds 70 mm, the possibility is that it was a case of drowning. No sand particle or leaves were found in the lungs.
• Totally, 16 injury marks found on body were due to bruises and the trauma of blows. There are no other lethal injuries.
• Bruises resulting from fall in running are seen on the backside and on legs.
• Chest bones are intact and there are no injuries to internal organs.
The chances of unnatural death
• The goons might have forcibly drowned Kevin to death. He could've been thrown into the waters after he collapsed
• Marks of punching seen above the eye. Hitting at this spot can cause loss of consciousness. They might have then dumped him into the river, thinking that he is dead. There is no trace of liquor on the body.
Remaining tests
• The unicellular organisms in the bone marrow of Kevin will be matched with those in the waters. If they match, drowning can be confirmed.
• Viscera examination will establish if Kevin was injected with poison or sedatives.
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