44 injuries, brain damage: Chilling autopsy details of Tamil Nadu custodial death

A post-mortem report in the Tamil Nadu custodial death case indicated that Ajith Kumar experienced extensive internal bleeding and trauma, aligning with significant and broad physical abuse. The report’s findings, obtained by India Today, offer compelling medical proof of severe violence, probably enduring for an extended duration, and align with torture that led to death.

The occurrence of petechial haemorrhages in organs such as the heart and liver, along with subscalp contusions, suggests blunt force trauma and internal bleeding that are not generally associated with accidental injuries or singular assaults, but rather with sustained, intentional physical abuse. The report indicates that 44 injuries were noted in the autopsy, featuring deep muscle-level bruises, brain and organ bleeding, along with injuries of differing lengths and orientations throughout the body.

These injuries align with a pattern of intentional, physical attacks employing items such as sticks, batons, or rods. The overall conclusions of the autopsy report dispute any assertions of natural death, minor altercation, or seizure, as noted in the FIR by law enforcement.

The report indicates that the injuries were not minor or random: they were significant, systematic, and profound. The report indicates that many of the injuries on Ajith Kumar’s body penetrated deeply into the muscle layer — affecting at least 30 areas — indicating severe, repeated assaults.

It also indicated that internal brain and organ bleeding suggests life-threatening trauma probably caused before death, rather than after. Overlapping injuries and concurrent contusions indicate the use of rigid, linear objects (such as lathis or batons). Among the primary findings in the postmortem report, in addition to the 44 distinct injuries recorded on the scalp, torso, limbs, and internal organs, were numerous dark red linear contusions, with some measuring up to 28cm long, frequently overlapping — indicating multiple beatings.

The report indicates severe brain trauma, including subscalp contusions, ecchymosis of the skull, and hemorrhaging in both cerebral lobes, reflecting significant internal bleeding from blunt force trauma. Subscalp contusions result from hard impacts, while ecchymosis shows deep bruising from blows that rupture small blood vessels.

Additionally, hemorrhaging in the cerebral lobes signals critical internal injury. Petechial hemorrhages in major organs like the heart, liver, and stomach wall indicate extreme stress likely from repeated blunt force or suffocation. A bite mark and large contusions in less visible body areas support evidence of prolonged custodial violence, consistent with torture leading to death.