PETALING JAYA: The family of naval cadet officer J. Soosaimanicckam, who died while on training in 2018, wants police to re-investigate his death.
Soosaimanicckam’s father S. Joseph filed a report at the Petaling Jaya police station following an Ipoh High Court ruling on Monday, which set aside the coroner’s open verdict and revised it to homicide.
In his report lodged yesterday, Joseph said the court had also ruled that the death was due to the action of several officers in the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN).
Soosaimanicckam’s brother Charles Joseph said the 27-year-old’s death was unacceptable and investigation papers must be reopened to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
“The family wants this tragedy to be investigated as the court has ruled that there could be criminal intent,” said Charles.
Lawyer Zaid Malek, who accompanied the family, said the police report was made following the High Court ruling that Soosaimanicckam’s untimely death was a direct consequence of RMN officers in charge of cadet training not allowing the deceased to seek medical treatment.
“Thus, there was some criminal intent involved in the death,” he added.
Soosaimanicckam, a graduate cadet officer, was pronounced dead at the Armed Forces Hospital in Lumut on May 19, 2018.
The victim’s family filed a lawsuit on May 19, 2021, alleging the defendants’ negligence in failing to provide emergency treatment when the victim collapsed on the day of the incident and in failing to monitor his well-being and health during training sessions.
Last year, the Ipoh Coroner’s Court delivered an open verdict during the inquest into the cadet officer’s death to ascertain the cause.
Coroner Ainul Shahrin Mohamad had determined that the cause of Soosaimanicckam’s death, which occurred during cadet training at KD Sultan Idris, was pulmonary oedema.
