Cause of Manipur students death undetermined: Forensic report

Bangalore SP D Prakashsaid,With the final forensic report,murder is ruled out and culpable homicide is ruled out. We have to now examine how to take the case forward with regard to the assault.

The police,who have registered a case of murder against two of Loitams hostel mates Vishal Banerjee and Syed Afzal Ali said they would now examine the possibility of pursuing the hostel brawl as an assault case not leading to murder.

The police have not formally arrested Banerjee and Ali,though they have been barred from leaving Bangalore,on the advice of forensic doctors who believe injuries from the fight including,reportedly,a gash on forehead and a cut on mouth could not have caused concussion or haemorrhage.

Following the preliminary report,the police were veering towards the theory that the April 15 motorcycle accident in which Loitam was injured his helmet was badly damaged could have caused the haemorrhage.

The final report,however,trashes that theory. The visible injuries mentioned at the time of the post-mortem examination are neither individually and collectively not sufficient to cause death, it says,adding that 27.17 mg Paracetamol found in Loitams body was not sufficient to cause death either.

The report,however,claims,quoting the hospitals head of pathology Dr Raghupathi,that Loitam suffered from a heart condition that was probably hereditary.