A coffin for Hisham on Monday

At a candle light vigil for C Sugumaran last night PKR said they would also conduct his last rites in front of the Kajang district police headquarters.

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KAJANG: Kapar MP S Manikavasagam said he would present a coffin to Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein in seeking justice for security guard C Sugumaran.

“We will bring a coffin to Hishammuddin’s office in Putrajaya.

“I’ll get him a pillow too so that he can be more comfortable. We’ll gather in front of his office at the Home Ministry at 11am on Feb 4,” said Manikavasagam who criticised Hishamuddin for his silence in Sugumaran’s death in custody

Sugumaran, a 40-year-old security guard, was handcuffed and beaten to death by four policemen and a crowd of 20 people in Taman Sri Nanding, Hulu Langat last week. His face was smeared with turmeric powder.

Last night a candle light vigil was held in front of Kajang district police headquarters for Sugumaran. About 70 people made up mainly of DAP, PKR and PAS members were there to show their support for Sugumaran and his family.

Manikavasagam told the crowd that he would be raising the issue with Suhakam and conduct Sugumaran’s funeral rites in front of the Kajang district police headquarters.

“We’ll go to Suhakam at 11am on Feb 5. We’ll also bring Sugumaran’s body in front of this police station and conduct his final rites after the second post-mortem is conducted,” he said.

Lawyers representing Sugumaran’s family members – N Surendran, Latheefa Koya and G Sivamalar were not at the vigil.

Pathologist Dr Mohd Azaini Ibrahim of Serdang Hospital who prepared the post-mortem report stated that Sugumaran died due to a heart attack.

PM wants forensic report

The police have obtained a green light to conduct an inquest but the family have rejected it. They have lodged a police report, calling for the police personnel involved to be investigated for murder.

Three witnesses – 21-year-old R Mohanarajan, 35-year-old S Sugunan and R Vasandh – have given their statements to the Petaling Jaya district police headquarters last week that Sugumaran was fatally assaulted. The three were interviewed for a period of six hours.

The police however have rejected calls for a murder investigation.

Sugumaran’s family wants a second post-mortem to be done.

Yesterday Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak instructed Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai to present the forensic report in Sugumaran’s case to the Cabinet.

Meanwhile, Sugumaran’s uncle, A Kuppusamy, 78, who represented the grieving family at the vigil took Hishammuddin and Najib to task for their silence over the case.

“During the British era in 1957, I was arrested and beaten up in the police station. I got justice within six hours. Where is the justice now? Hishamuddin and Najib are responsible. They do not trust the people because the dead would not cast votes,” said Kuppusamy.

Apart from Manikavasagam and Kuppusamy, Senator ST Chandramohan of the DAP, PSM secretary general S Arutchelvan, PKR’s human rights and legal bureau deputy chief S Jayathas, former Federal Territory PKR deputy chief, R Suresh Kumar also addressed the crowd.