GMC DOCTORS REFUSE TO CONDUCT AUTOPSY ON THE BODY OF THE CHARRED TO DEATH YOUTH.

PANJIM: Doctors at the State-run Goa Medical College and Hospital refused to conduct autopsy on the dead body of a suspected tribal youth leader on Friday, who was charred to death during an agitation on Wednesday. The authorities refused to perform the task saying the dead is yet to be identified.

The state police said the dead body was of an "unidentified" person as it was charred beyond recognition.  Police have already moved to conduct DNA test of the body which is suspected to be of Manguesh Gaonkar, a tribal youth, who headed Adarsha Yuva Sangh, an association of local youths.

Police recovered bodies of two tribal leaders, who were burnt to death by a mob at Balli village, 60 kms South of Panjim, in the wee hours of Thursday. Tribals were agitating for implementation of reservation in government jobs when a mob, allegedly with the support of police, attacked them.

According to a source, the doctors said the postmortem can only be conducted when it is certain that the dead cannot be identified. If identified, without the consent of the family members, the autopsy cannot be done.

Sources said the officer from Cuncolim police station, who had signed papers to conduct the postmortem, had to return without doing it. Meanwhile, authorities have performed postmortem on the body of the another victim.

United Tribal Alliance Association (UTAA), which was heading the agitation, said the family members have refused to accept the bodies of the youth. Those involved in killing them should be punished, without which, the bodies will not be accepted by the families, UTAA President Prakash Velip said.

Meanwhile, UTAA members today held a token hunger strike at Azad Maidan in Panjim to protest against the killing of their members and also to press for their demands. – PTI