Death of BJP youth wing leader: Calcutta High Court directs videography of post-mortem

The Calcutta High Court on Friday directed videography of the post-mortem of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) West Bengal youth leader who was found found hanging in a room of a railway quarter [Smt Amrita Pandey v Union of India]..A Bench of Chief Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj ordered the constitution of a team of experts for the post-mortem and directed the Head of Forensic Science as well as Chief Judicial Magistrate to be present."The Head of the Command Hospital will constitute a team of experts for the purpose of the said post-mortem and at the time of post-mortem, expert from AIIMS, Kalyani as also the Head of the Department of Forensic Science, R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital can remain present.".The matter arose out of the death of one Arjun Chaurasia, vice-president of Yuva Morcha of Kashipur who was found hanging. The petitioners alleged that it was a case of murder being projected as suicide..The petitioners claimed that the incident took place at the instance of hooligans associated with the rival party. Allegations were also made that the police authorities were pressurising the family of the deceased and that atrocities were being done at the instance of a Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from the ruling party.It was their apprehension that the post-mortem would not be done in a proper manner, and attempts may be made to destroy the evidence..Considering the circumstances, the Court said the post-mortem must be carried out at Command Hospital which was a short distance from where the deceased was kept.“Having regard to the circumstances which have been disclosed before us, we are of the opinion that the postmortem of the body of deceased Arjun Chaurasia should be done at the Command Hospital.”.Kolkata’s Commissioner of Police was asked to ensure that the body was shifted from the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital to the Command Hospital safely. The post-mortem was sought to be done as expeditiously as possible..Tthe Court directed the commissioner to ensure proper police protection was provided to the family of the deceased..With these directions, the matter was adjourned to 10 May..[Read Order]