49 injuries found on custodial death victim Karuna

Contrary to police claims of no foul play and no injuries on custodial death victim P Karuna Nithi's body, the victim's autopsy report shows he had sustained 49 injuries.

These are predominately bruises caused by a blunt object on the chest and limbs, according to the report prepared by Tuanku Jaafar hospital forensic consultant Dr Sharifah Safoorah Syed Alwee Al'Aidrus.

PKR public complaints bureau chief S Manikavasagam said the report contradicts what the police have initially claimed.

"The CPO of Negri Sembilan (Osman Salleh) had come up and said there is ‘no injury, no foul play, nothing. (They said) we have never beaten him up.' 

"Before the post-mortem had been completed, he came up with a press statement saying that these are all rumours and told the public not to believe them. 

"So today, it is very clear: 49 injuries. These are new injuries," said Manikavasagam when contacted today.

He said he accompanied Karuna's family to see Sharifah yesterday to receive a one-hour briefing regarding her findings and the report, a copy of which has been sent to Malaysiakini.

Karuna, an engineer, died on June 1 at the Tampin police district headquarters, a day before the family could raise money to post bail for him after he was charged on May 31 for "causing hurt".

‘Injuries did not cause death'

Despite the report of the injuries however, the autopsy report concluded the cause of death to be "fatty change of the liver", a condition commonly associated with alcoholism or obesity. 

She added that the injuries did not involve the muscles or the skeleton, and on its own, could not have been a direct cause of death.

"Fatty change of the liver causes death through hypoglycaemia (abnormally low blood sugar content) and/or electrolyte imbalance, both of which cannot be proven in a post-mortem.

"This condition is possibly compounded by absence of partially digested food material in the gastric cavity," she wrote.

When asked to explain the findings, Manikavasagam (above) said the pathologist had speculated during the briefing that Karuna had not been eating while in detention and was too frail to survive any beating as a result.

Manikavasagam, who is also the former Kapar MP, said Karuna's family has lodged a police report at the Seremban police district headquarters today against CPO Osman over the latter's claims that there was no foul play in Karuna's death.

They will also raise the issue in a memorandum to the Bukit Aman police headquarters on Tuesday, and another to the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) later next week.

Sugumar's family mulls suit

Meanwhile, in the case of another death in custody victim C Sugumar, lawyer Latheefa Koya said the family is mulling to sue the government and the police for causing suffering to them and Sugumar.

Sugumar was found dead on Jan 23, allegedly after being chased by the police, handcuffed, and beaten by them and a crowd who had joined in the chase. 

However, Latheefa said they will wait for Serdang Hospital's autopsy report first before deciding on their next move.

They were previously told by Sugumar's pathologist that he had died of a heart attack, and requests for a second autopsy were unsuccessful.