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Family barges
into mortuary
By LOURDES CHARLES and M. KUMAR
 PETALING
JAYA (Thursday January 22, 2009): 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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