Nagercoil Sabari Varman custodial death: Family to receive body only after experts review autopsy report

The kin of judicial custodial death victim S. Sabari Varman (35) from Ethankadu in Kanniyakumari district have insisted on receiving his body only after verifying the genuineness of the post-mortem report.

The family members conveyed this when Ministers S. Rajesh Kumar and Srinath had met them to hand over the financial assistance late on Thursday (July 16, 2026). The Ministers were accompanied by Kanniyakumari District Collector M. Prathap and Superintendent of Police R. Stalin.

Sabari Varman’s family refused to accept the financial assistance. His sister said the family needed one day to send the autopsy video footage to People’s Watch, a human rights NGO and have it reviewed by a doctor for a second opinion. “If they verify the post-mortem report is genuine, I will take possession of the body next second,” she added.

Speaking to The Hindu, human rights activist Henri Tiphagne of People’s Watch said the footage was handed over to the family around 7 p.m. on Thursday. He explained the footage usually comes in multiple segments, often 24 or 31 bits, which need to be compiled into a single video and that will be given to forensic experts for further analysis, which is expected to be completed by Friday (July 17).