Why is a family refusing to accept the body of a young woman from Sivaganga? Questions over missing postmortem documents and allegations of harassment have turned a tragedy into a dispute with authorities.
A 20‑year‑old pregnant woman from Sivaganga was found dead at her husband’s house in Tiruppathur on June 17, leading to allegations of harassment and a dispute over postmortem records.
The victim, identified as S Afreen, was discovered hanging at the residence of her husband, Mohammed Asraf. Her mother, S Fathima Beevi, lodged a complaint alleging that Afreen had faced physical and mental harassment after her family could not provide the full quantity of gold promised as dowry before marriage.
While Asraf’s family claimed Afreen died by suicide, her mother alleged that the door was locked from outside when they arrived and that injury marks were visible on her shoulder.
Family Refuses To Accept Body
Afreen’s family has refused to accept her body from Pudukottai Government Medical College Hospital, stating that authorities have not provided them with a copy of the postmortem certificate or the autopsy video.
Advocate SK Venkat, representing the family, said repeated requests for the documents had gone unanswered. He cited previous Madras High Court rulings, including the 2019 RM Arun Swaminathan vs Tamil Nadu Health Secretary case and the 2020 Santhosh vs Madurai District Collector order, which established the family’s entitlement to such records.
Hospital And Police Response
Pudukottai hospital dean S Kalaivani said there was no delay on the hospital’s part but did not clarify whether copies of the postmortem report and video would be shared.
Venkat alleged that complaints to police and health authorities had been ignored, and claimed some officers had blocked the family’s email ID to prevent further complaints. Senior police officers denied the charge, stating they had no role in the autopsy and would act based on the RDO report and procedure.
Police registered a case under Section 193(3)(i) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNSS), which deals with inquests into unnatural deaths and postmortem examinations. Since the death occurred within seven years of marriage, an RDO inquest is also underway.
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