Mysore: Fearing that the postmortem in Karnataka that was conducted on Saturday would give a clean chit to foresters, who allegedly shot deceased poacher Palani, his family has preserved his body for a second autopsy. The body was kept in a coffin filled with salt and buried at his native Chettipatti hamlet in Govindapaadi around Saturday midnight.
Fearing that the postmortem in Karnataka that was conducted on Saturday would give a clean chit to foresters, who allegedly shot deceased poacher Palani, his family has preserved his body for a second autopsy.
The body was kept in a coffin filled with sodium chloride (common salt) and buried at his native Chettipatti hamlet in Govindapaadi around Saturday midnight.
Palani’s wife Shantha told Deccan Chronicle over phone that she wants justice and demands to know the truth behind her husband’s death. “I don’t trust Karnataka doctors, who can be influenced.
If the report comes adverse, we will exhume the body and go for a second autopsy in Tamil Nadu,” she said.
Mr K. Thangavel, president, Cauverypuram Gram Panchayat, said they consulted the advocate and decided to preserve the body. “We were promised a fair probe and hope truth will be revealed in the Karnataka autopsy. Otherwise, we will press for a second postmortem,” he said.
Salem Superintendent of Police R. Sakthivel also confirmed the development. He said Palani’s body reached Govindapaadi around 11.30 pm on Saturday from Mysore Medical College and Research Institute (MMC & RI), where autopsy was conducted. He was buried at his own land in Chettipatti hamlet adjacent to the graves of his parents.
A flash protest was held by over 300 people at Govindapaadi as the body was brought for the cremation and they demanded strict action against Karnataka forest officials.
Reliable sources at MMC&RI say the forensic doctor, who conducted the autopsy on the highly decomposed body of Palani, is likely to conclude that the poacher was shot dead.
“The autopsy revealed that the bullet shot from a close range has penetrated through the left side of Palani’s forehead and exited from the back shattering his skull,” said a source, on condition of anonymity.
On the likelihood of the autopsy report indicting the foresters, MM Hills Wildlife Sanctuary Assistant Conservator of Forests Vasudeva Murthy said that the forest staff are authorised to open fire at suspicious elements in the wildlife reserve.
“We have to appreciate the work done by the forest staff for putting their life at risk for protecting our wildlife. But the only mistake the forest staff of Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary did was they didn’t report the incident immediately to the jurisdictional police,” he said.
