Pathanamthitta: More injuries have been found on the body of P P Mathai, who allegedly died while in the custody of the forest department in Pathanamthitta.
The physical examination carried out by the CBI before the re-postmortem on Friday found more injuries than those recorded in the police inquest report. The CBI also recorded minor wounds that were omitted in the first inquest. These wounds were unlikely to have sustained during a fall, according to sources.
Mathai, a 41-year-old farmer from Kudappana in the district, was found dead in a well near his farmhouse on July 28, hours after he was taken into custody by the forest department. The preliminary post-mortem report said that Mathai died due to drowning. Alleging foul play, the family moved the Kerala High Court, which directed the CBI to take over the probe.
The mortal remains were kept at the mortuary of the Marthoma Medical Mission Hospital in Ranni. The body was handed over to CBI DySPs Ranbir Singh Shekhawat, the probe officer, and TP Ananthakrishnan by 10am on Friday. The inquest began by 12 noon and the post-mortem by 3pm.
The police have recorded both the inquest and post-mortem procedures.
Thiruvalla sub-collector Vinay Goyal and assistant collector V Chelsasini were also present during the entire duration. The procedures were completed by 5:45pm and the team left for Chittar.
The team of the CBI sleuths and the doctors also inspected the well in which Mathai was found dead and the surrounding areas before preparing the post-mortem report. The CBI team reached Chittar as per the request of the forensic surgeons. The inspection was held to ascertain how Mathai suffered the injuries.
Details were also collected from those who had spotted the body first. The probe team then went to Mathai's house at Kudappana and made enquiries with his wife Sheeba and other relatives.
