Thiruvananthapuram: In a shocking revelation pointing to murder, Kerala Jail DGP Rishiraj Singh has said the unexpected death of legendary Bollywood actress Sridevi was 'not' accidental.
Quoting his friend late forensic surgeon Dr. Umadathan, the DGP revealed that "my friend told me that the death might have been a murder."
"When I asked him out of curiosity over the death, Dr. Umadathan pointed out several circumstantial evidences to prove that the actress death was not accidental," the DGP wrote in an article recalling his experiences with the late renowned forensic expert who had helped Kerala police crack dozens of sensational murder cases and other crimes.
The actress reportedly died after drowning in the bathtub in a hotel in Dubai, where she was staying with her husband after attending a family wedding on February 24 last year.
According to Dr Umadathan, ''even if she drunk much, she would not drown in one-foot deep water in a bathtub'', the DGP said.
"Without pushing by somebody, a person's legs or head could not drown in one-foot water in the bathtub," the DGP quoting the forensic expert said.
Though the unexpected death under mysterious circumstances sparked controversy during those days, the exact reason for the death could not be proven due to lack of evidence.
The renowned forensic surgeon Dr. B Umadathan (73) died at a private hospital here on Wednesday last. He was a forensic medicine professor and had served as a medical-legal expert for Kerala Police.
He also worked as a professor at Thiruvananthapuram, Alappuzha, Kottayam, and Thrissur Medical Colleges and served as a medico-legal consultant with the Libyan Government.
Dr. Umadathan was instrumental in solving several sensational cases in the State. After seeing his zeal in solving the cases, Kerala Police had created a Medico-Legal Advisor post in the department.
Dr Umadathan's works include, 'Science in the Detection of Crime', 'Investigation of Unnatural Death'; 'Practical Forensic Medicine', 'Forensic Medicine for the Police', 'Forensic Medicine for the Medicos'; 'Memoirs of a Police Surgeon' 'Oru Police Surgeonte Ormakkurippukal (Malayalam) and 'Principles and Practice of Forensic Medicine.'