By V. Jagannathan
Chennai, March 17 (IANS) Sadiq Batcha, realtor and a close business associate of former communications minister A. Raja, died due to asphyxia, a doctor who performed autopsy on the body said Thursday. The injuries were similar to those that were found on a body when a person is hanged.
Speaking to IANS, V. Dekal, who performed autopsy on Batcha's body Thursday at Government Royapettah Hospital, said: "The death is due to asphyxia (lack of oxygen in the blood causing unconsciousness or death). The signs of asphyxia like bluish fingers and damage to internal organs were there."
He said there were no other injuries on the body.
"The injuries on the neck skin are similar to the ones that would occur when a person is hanged. We have sent the skin samples to see whether the injuries occurred after the death," Dekal said.
According to him, injuries on the neck would occur even if a person is hanged after his death. He said samples of internal organs have been sent for forensic test to check for poisoning.
According to him, Batcha's finger nails were clear. However, they have been sent for tests to detect presence of rope fibres.
Queried whether Batcha's neck bone was fractured, Dekal said: "Fracture of neck bone is not a must for death due to hanging. Fracture of bone depends on factors like age of the person and other things."
As to the time of probable time of death, he said: "The body was brought to the hospital around 3 p.m. yesterday (Wednesday). The death would have happened between six - eight hours prior to that."
He said there was partially digested food in Batcha's stomach, but what it was cannot be confirmed.
According to Dekal, a number of tests have to be conducted to pinpoint the exact reason of death, and might take around two weeks.
"Only after getting all the reports, I can say clearly about the case," Dekal said.
Sadiq Batcha was under the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) scanner to check whether his company, Green House Promoters, was a conduit for the money generated in the spectrum scam.
Batcha, 47, was found hanging at his Chennai home Wednesday afternoon