Chennai, Dec 13 (IANS): The Madras High Court on Monday ordered a post-mortem examination of the body of a murder accused after his wife filed a petition that he died due to torture in judicial custody.

M. Srinivasan was arrested by the police on December 7 on a murder charge and was lodged in Puzhal central prison from where police had taken him into custody for interrogation. Following his death, his wife, S. Janisirani filed a petition before the judicial magistrate's court, seeking a post-mortem examination of her husband's body by a team of doctors including one of her choice.

The magistrate asked her to file an appropriate plea and she filed it before the Madras High Court where her lawyer argued that Srinivasan's body had several external injuries and that these were due to custodial torture.

Counsel, advocate R. Sankarasubbu sought the post-mortem examination be conducted by a doctor of the family's choice. This was opposed by Additional Public Prosecutor, A. Damodaran who argued that the post-mortem examination can be conducted only by a government doctor in the presence of a doctor of petitioner's choice.

A single bench of Justice T.V. Thamilselvi ordered the post-mortem examination be conducted in the presence of Dr. Bekal, head of the Forensic Department, Meenakshi Medical College, Kancheepuram.