Case of abetment to suicide registered for Muthu’s death

Police on Wednesday registered an FIR in the alleged suicide of a Dalit JNU scholar even as AIIMS autopsy ruled out any foul play in his death as doubted by his family and fellow varsity students.

Muthu Krishnan, 28, a Ph.D student at JNU’s Centre of Historical studies, had allegedly hanged himself at his Japanese friend's house in Munirka using a blanket on March 13. Father of the deceased student, who was at the forefront of student movement against Rohith Vemula’s suicide and severely critical of JNU’s new admission policy, had on Tuesday demanded a CBI probe into his death.

“We have registered a case of abetment to suicide and the relevant section of the SCs and the STs Prevention of Atrocities Act. The case has been registered against unknown persons,” said Chinmoy Biswal, Additional DCP (South). “We had received a complaint from his father and after seeking an opinion from our prosecution branch we registered an FIR at Vasant Vihar station,” he added.

The Dalit research scholar’s body was taken for post-mortem to the AIIMS yesterday and the premier hospital had constituted a five-member board to conduct the autopsy and issued direction for videography of the procedure that is being carried out today.

The board at AIIMS including members belonging to SC/ST said Krishnan died due to asphyxia and no injury mark was found on the body.

“The death was due to asphyxia (a condition of severely deficient supply of oxygen to the body due to abnormal breathing) as a result of ante-mortem hanging. No injury mark has been found in any part of the body,” said Dr Sudhir Gupta, Head of AIIMS Forensic Department.

“There were signs of dribbling of saliva on the face of the deceased which is a sure sign of antemortem hanging. Viscera has been preserved for chemical analysis,” Dr Gupta said.

Meanwhile, a few Dalit faculty members of DU, Jamia Millia Islamia, Dalit writers and activists and Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students’ Association, JNU unit came together to demand implementation of the Thorat panel’s recommendation against discrimination at educational institutions.

Muthu Krishnan, a Ph.D student at JNU’s Centre of Historical studies, had allegedly hanged himself at his Korean friend's house in Munirka on March 13.