HC okays 2nd autopsy in custodial death case

The Bombay High Court on Friday allowed a second post mortem (PM) to be conducted on the body of Vinod Chandurkar who died in police custody in the Wadala Police Station on February 18. Chadurkar’s body was found hanging in the toilet of the police lock-up. While the police maintained that Chandulkar had committed suicide, his relatives allege that he was killed. 

His wife Sangita approached the HC after her requests were not heeded to by top ranking police officials and the State Human Rights Commission. Chandurkar’s angry relatives had refused to perform last rites on his body and kept it in the JJ Hospital mortuary as the circumstances of his death were suspect.

In the HC, Sangita’s lawyer Vidyadhar Gangurde contended that the circumstances that Vinod died under did not suggest suicide. If he had hung himself there would have been impressions around his neck but there were only minor scratches around it.

Also there was swelling and bruises in his private parts which indicated that he had been assaulted in custody. He, therefore, demanded that another PM be conducted and the investigations be handed over to the state CID.