The controversy over the death of Chandran Unnithan, who succumbed to the fatal injuries suffered during a stone-pelting incident between opposing groups on Wednesday evening at Pandalam in Pathanamthitta district is refusing to subside with contrasting reports emerging over the cause of his death.

While a death summary issued by the Department of Emergency Medicine at Believer’s Church Medical College, Thiruvalla, stated that the patient had died of a cardiac arrest, preliminary reports of a post-mortem examination at Government Medical College Hospital in Kottayam, attributed the cause of his death to a major head injury. There is, however, no official confirmation available regarding the contents of his postmortem report.

The report issued by the Thiruvalla-based hospital had stated that ‘the patient was actively bleeding from right ear, nose and mouth’ while being admitted to the hospital. Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had attributed cardiac arrest to the cause of his death.