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Friday, June 7, 2013

Family to bury Sugumar in 48 hours if court order requirement not lifted

Surendran says the family want a second post-mortem. — File picPETALING JAYA, June 7 — After over 100 days appealing for a second autopsy, the family of C. Sugumar announced today that they will bury and carry out the last rites on the deceased’s body in 48 hours if circumstances do not change.
An alleged victim of police brutality, Sugumar’s body has been lying in the Serdang Hospital morgue for 136 days after a sudden demand for court order from hospitals last week delayed the autopsy. 
“Unable to carry out the final religious rites, the family remain in continuing sorrow and agony. The family have carried on this lonely battle for justice for as long as it is humanly possible.
“Now they wish to lay Sugumar to rest as soon as possible,” family lawyer N. Surendran told reporters here.
In February, Thai forensic pathologist Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand made a sudden about-turn after agreeing to conduct the second post-mortem on Sugumar, claiming government interference, which had been refuted by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak as “fairy tales”.
Sugumar’s family have insisted on Dr Pornthip for the second autopsy, but both Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL) and University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) last week informed the family that they will not conduct any second autopsy until a court order is obtained.
Family lawyers R. Sivarasa and Latheefa Koya explained today that no court order is needed for a second autopsy, citing the case of custodial death victim A. Kugan in 2009.
The hospitals’ demand came despite a letter from a deputy director-general of the Ministry of Health, sighted by The Malaysian Insider today, agreeing to facilitate a second autopsy in any public hospital.
The letter, dated February 6, also did not state any requirement for a court order for a second autopsy to be conducted.
Surendran and his fellow lawyers today demanded that the government allow Dr Pornthip to carry out the autopsy in 48 hours, or drop the court order requirement and allow UMMC pathologists or HKL pathologist Dr Siew Sheue Feng to conduct the post-mortem.
Dr Siew had recently written the forensic report on alleged custodial death victim N. Dharmendran, concluding he had died from multiple blunt force trauma, and not “breathing difficulties” as claimed by the police.
Several witnesses, who saw Sugumar collapse on a street near his home in Batu 12, Hulu Langat on January 23, have accused the policemen who arrested him of beating up the man, together with the help of a mob, after he was handcuffed.
The police have denied the allegations, pointing out that the initial post-mortem by Serdang Hospital showed that Sugumar had died of a heart attack.
Sugumar’s family decision today follows another three deaths in police custody in 11 days, which prompted public anger and calls for the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) to be implemented.

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