Thursday January 22, 2009
Family barges into mortuary
By LOURDES CHARLES and M. KUMAR
PETALING JAYA: The family members of a detainee who was found dead in a police station barged into the Serdang Hospital mortuary to view his body, claiming he died after being assaulted.
They took photographs of the body, claiming there were wounds and injuries on his body yesterday.
Selangor police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar said there would be no cover-up in investigations into the death of A. Kugan, a suspected car thief, in the Taipan police station in USJ, Subang Jaya, during questioning.
“I can assure Kugan’s family and the public that if the post-mortem report indicates there was force used that led to Kugan’s death then we will take action against those responsible.
“Everyone should wait for the post mortem report before jumping into any conclusion or politicising the issue.’’ he said.
Sheer agony: Kugan’s family grieving after seeing his body at Serdang Hospital in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. DCP Khalid said Kugan was arrested on Jan 15 over his alleged involvement in a car theft syndicate that was believed to have international links.
He said Kugan had led police to the recovery of 15 luxury cars from a warehouse in Puchong that were being prepared to be shipped overseas by the syndicate.
“We were in the midst of obtaining more information from him regarding his involvement with the syndicate’s activities when he was taken to the Taipan police station.”
An assistant medical officer from the hospital’s forensics department has lodged a report yesterday alleging that family members and unknown people had barged into the mortuary where Kugan’s body was kept.
In his report, the officer Mohamed Azharuddin Abdul Ghani claimed he and two staff were forced out of the room by the crowd that came to the hospital at about 11.30pm.
He claimed the family members and the 50-strong crowd left the mortuary at about 2.30am after they identified and examined the body.
DCP Khalid said when Mohamed Azharuddin went back into the cold room, he found the shirt Kugan was wearing had been ripped and torn and there was also blood spots on the floor.
Kugan’s family, too, lodged a report with the Subang Jaya police headquarters claiming that the police were responsible for his death.
The family’s lawyer, N. Surendran, refuted claims that the family had tampered with the body.
“All they did was unbutton his shirt and turn the body around to examine his injuries.”
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