Trauma severe enough to cause Ajith Kumar’s death: Forensic expert
With over 50 injuries, including 45 deep contusions, the trauma was severe enough to cause death from pain, hypovolemic shock, or collapse, said Dr Sampath Kumar P
Dr Sampath Kumar P, MD (Forensic Medicine), retired professor and Head of the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology at Madras Medical College, has provided a critical analysis of the postmortem report of the late Ajith Kumar, as published in The Federal.
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His expert review highlights severe injuries that suggest a violent assault, challenging the initial indication of death due to cardiac infarction. According to him, the postmortem report details 12 abrasions, mostly on the upper body, and 44 contusions spanning from head to foot. These contusions, ranging from 9 cm to 23 cm in length, are muscle-deep or bone-deep, with overlapping patterns in varying directions.
Cardiac findings
Dr Kumar noted, “The injuries, likely inflicted by a blunt object like a lathi, reflect significant force. With over 50 injuries, including 45 deep contusions, the trauma was severe enough to cause death from pain, hypovolemic shock, or collapse.” The report also mentions cardiac findings: petechial hemorrhages on the left ventricle’s posterior wall, a 3 x 1.5 cm pale area at the heart’s apex, narrowed coronary ostia, and atheromatous changes in the aorta’s root.
While these suggest a possible cardiac infarction, Dr Kumar emphasised, “The extent and severity of the injuries are sufficient to be the primary cause of death, and the heart condition may be coincidental.” Additional findings include 220 ml of brown fluid and 100 grams of partly digested rice in the stomach, with an empty large intestine.
No deeper insights
Dr Kumar expressed concern that the body was not preserved for further examination, potentially limiting deeper insights. Pending X-ray, blood, and viscera analyses may reveal additional injuries, such as rib fractures or a possible fracture at the base of the middle cranial fossa.
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“The pattern of injuries suggests multiple strikes on the same areas, indicating a brutal assault,” he stated. He added that a comprehensive analysis awaits the results of chemical, X-ray, and histopathological reports.
