TN Dalit youth’s family press for second autopsy

Ilavarasan’s marriage to caste Hindu Divya Nagarajan in the Vanniya heartland had triggered a backlash against Dalits across pockets of TN.

The couple had split in June,with the girl reportedly under pressure from the community and political leaders,after the suicide of her father over the alliance. Hence,when the 20-year-old Ilavarasan was found dead on a railway track Thursday,foul play was suspected.

It took persistent demand for two days from Ilavarasan’s family,activists and politicians before the authorities transferred the case to the local police. So far,the government railway police,a force ill-equipped to investigate such a case,was inquiring with little success.

A special team under DSP M Sampath has now been assigned the investigation.

Preliminary assessment indicated that Ilavarasan jumped in front of a train a day after Divya said there was no possibility of her returning to him. However,both had repeatedly said,in court and outside,that there were no problems in their months-old marital life. Also,drivers of trains on the route did not report any incident added to the family’s suspicions.

The autopsy report does not reveal much other than stating that Ilavarasan died due to a fatal head injury.

Copies of the report and the video of the procedure have been handed over to his father Elangovan as directed by the high court on Friday.

Unconvinced by the autopsy,which was done without the presence of a forensic expert of their choice as the family had demanded,Ilavarasan’s family is planning to press for a second autopsy. The court order offers the possibility of another autopsy.