New Delhi, Saturday 10 July 2010: The National Human Rights Commission has issued conditional summons for personal appearance of district magistrate of Palakkad in a case where a 30-year-old man died in police custody and had burn marks on his body.

“NHRC has issued conditional summons for the personal appearance of DM, Palakkad on August 20 in connection with non-compliance of its recommendations seeking various reports in a case of death in police custody in the district,” the Commission said in a statement.

Earlier report

The first accused in the sensational Puthur Sheela murder case Sampath (30) died in police custody on March 29 night. He was arrested along with two other accused from Coimbatore and brought to Palakkad on March 28.

According to the police Sampath developed chest pain at 11.30 p.m and was taken to Palakkad District Hospital where he was declared dead.

Sampath is the son of Raman, Karippali House, Karinkirapplly near Palakkad town. He had worked in the mobile show room of the deceased Sheela for a few days.

The report of the post-mortem examination conducted on Sampath, says the cause of death is “due to internal bleeding into tissues and on the brain due to blunt injuries sustained.”

The report adds, “There were 63 injuries on his body and 25 of them were below the hip. His ribs no. 6, 8 and 9 were broken due to the use of third degree methods.”

The injuries were due to punching with hard objects, it says. His head was hit against a rough surface or object. The report says Sampath died around 3 p.m. But the police had said that he died around 11 p.m.

(News agency inputs)