India News | Bengal Govt Files Appeal Against Second Autopsy Order on Body of 'BJP Worker'
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. The West Bengal government on Wednesday filed an appeal before a division bench of the Calcutta High Court challenging a single bench judgement ordering a second post mortem examination on the body of a man who died in judicial custody "due to torture", as alleged by his brother. The single bench of Justice Rajasekhar Mantha on Tuesday ordered the second autopsy on the body of Madan Ghorai alias Kalipada, who the BJP claimed to be its active worker, on the prayer by his brother alleging that he was tortured in custody in Purba Medinipur district.
Kolkata, Oct 21 (PTI) The West Bengal government on Wednesday filed an appeal before a division bench of the Calcutta High Court challenging a single bench judgement ordering a second post mortem examination on the body of a man who died in judicial custody "due to torture", as alleged by his brother. The single bench of Justice Rajasekhar Mantha on Tuesday ordered the second autopsy on the body of Madan Ghorai alias Kalipada, who the BJP claimed to be its active worker, on the prayer by his brother alleging that he was tortured in custody in Purba Medinipur district.
The state government filed the appeal against this verdict in the division bench comprising justices Sanjib Banerjee and Arijit Banerjee and the next date of hearing was fixed on November 3.
Kalipada was brought to a state-run hospital in Kolkata from a correctional home in the district and he died there last week. The victim's elder brother had moved the high court for a second autopsy claiming that the first one was not properly conducted.
On October 16, the single bench had said that since there are allegations of unnatural death and that too in custody, it was acceding to the request of the petitioner for a second post mortem examination.
Challenging the order, the West Bengal government moved an urgent appeal before the division bench of justices Sanjib Banerjee and Arijit Banerjee on the same day. The division bench passed an interim stay on it saying the single bench will hear the matter again.
After hearing the case afresh, Justice Mantha on Tuesday directed that a second postmortem examination be held on the body of Kalipada.
Petitioner Swapan Ghorai submitted that his brother was accused of kidnapping a woman at Patashpur in Purba Medinipur district and was in judicial remand since September 27 following his arrest.
The petitioner alleged before the court that Kalipada might have been tortured in custody and also claimed that he was brought to Kolkata for treatment from the correctional home in the district without the knowledge of the family.
The family was informed of his death on October 13 and was asked to collect the body from the state-run SSKM Hospital here. PTI dc
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)