Other States - Rajasthan   

Court orders autopsy of freedom fighter

By Our Special Correspondent

JAIPUR, FEB. 8. The Rajasthan High Court today asked the police to get an autopsy done on the body of the former MLA and freedom fighter, Chandrakala, to find out the cause of her death. The court order came over a fortnight after her death at the age of 87, following a complaint from the deceased's sister.

The court of Justice S.K. Keshote and Justice Ajay Rastogi, after examining two letters written by the deceased prior to her death complaining of torture by the family members with whom she had been living, ordered a post mortem. The same court had initially stalled a police move on conducting an autopsy taking into account the deceased's wish to donate her body for medical studies.

The court also ordered a state funeral for Chandrakala though this means the non-fulfilment of her wish. Ms. Chandrakala, who had been the Congress MLA from Jaipur's Kishenpole Bazar constituency from 1957-62, had pledged her body for the students of the Sawai Man Singh Medical College here.

After her death on January 24, the body was handed over to the hospital authorities by Ram Gopal Saini, with whose family, Ms. Chandrakala had been staying in her residence at Gokul Basti, the colony of the Sarvodaya people.

The High Court took up the matter when the police, after a case registered by Jaidevi Pandey, the deceased's sister at the Sanganer police station alleging foul play, proceeded to carry out a post mortem on the body. The court stalled the police move on post mortem following a public interest writ by a lawyer, pointing out that after autopsy the body would be rendered useless for medical students.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Other States

News: Front Page | National | Tamil Nadu | Andhra Pradesh | Karnataka | Kerala | New Delhi | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous | Engagements |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Updates: Breaking News |

Stories in this Section

`European Union still has identity problems'
Court orders autopsy of freedom fighter
Rs. 928-crore EC aid for Rajasthan

Copyright © 2005, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu