More than a year and a half has passed, yet the trauma borne by the family of M Vinoth, who died after being hacked by a masked gang in Jasin, Malacca, two years ago, has found no closure.
For his younger brother, M Deva Raj, 22, every second of the bloody incident on the night of Aug 25, 2024, remains vividly etched in his memory, all the more so as he watched one family member after another become targets of violence by the masked group, who are allegedly still at large.
Recounting the terrifying ordeal to Malaysiakini, Deva said on the day in question, he received an emergency call from his brother, who sounded panicked and told him he was under attack.
“When I arrived at the scene in Taman Rim Baru, my heart sank when I saw my brother drenched in blood. His head had been hacked, and his hand was almost severed. I immediately put him in the car and brought him to the hospital.
“What was meant to be an attempt to save my brother turned into a horrific scene when the car I was driving was hemmed in by two vehicles, including a blue Proton Wira belonging to the suspects.
“What was most heartbreaking was that the attack did not stop there. The group chased us all the way to the hospital compound, as if there were no law in this country,” he said.
Previously, it was reported that Vinoth (above), 24, was believed to have been hacked and attacked by masked men near Jasin Hospital in Malacca, resulting in his death.
Even more alarmingly, medical staff and patients also witnessed the attack.
Jasin district police chief Ahmad Jamil Radzi said at the time that the victim was first attacked by a group of masked men armed with machetes at a barber’s shop in Taman Rim Baru, Jasin, at around 8.40pm.
Despite being injured, the victim managed to call his younger brother for help, who then brought him to Jasin Hospital, about 4km from the scene, to seek treatment.
However, upon arriving at the hospital’s emergency department, the attackers pursued him and assaulted him mercilessly, even smashing the car’s front windscreen.
Jamil said the victim’s younger brother attempted to flee and sought refuge at the Jasin district police headquarters, where he also lodged a police report.
He added that an ambulance parked at the emergency unit was also damaged during the incident.
Following the incident, three suspects aged between 21 and 31 were arrested on Aug 26, while police launched a manhunt for two other suspects who were still at large.
At the time, police obtained a seven-day remand order for the three suspects to assist investigations under Section 320 of the Penal Code for murder.
Family members targeted
Continuing his account, Deva said that in his attempt to escape the attackers and reach the hospital, he was forced to drive towards the Jasin district police headquarters before becoming involved in an accident at Taman Maju, after one of the suspects abruptly stopped their vehicle in front of him.
“I’m convinced this attack was carefully planned because, at the same time, my parents were also attacked at a different location,” he said.
The victim’s father, Murthy Rajamanickam, 52, alleged that the car he was travelling in to go to the hospital on the night of the incident was intercepted and hacked repeatedly, while his wife, who was at home, was also subjected to harassment.
Adding to the family’s anguish, Vinoth’s widow, Saraswati, revealed that she was three months pregnant when her husband was brutally killed. Her child is now one year old.
“My husband left without ever seeing our child’s face. How much longer must I endure this suffering? Those who killed my husband are still free out there,” she said tearfully.
Saraswati alleged that despite several police reports being lodged, including two complaints at Bukit Aman police headquarters, firm action has yet to be taken against the perpetrators, whose identities she claims have already been established.
“All evidence, including CCTV footage from the barber’s shop where the incident occurred and the intimidation incident at the hospital premises, has been handed over.
“Yet, to this day, justice has not been on our side,” she said.
Police deny lack of seriousness
When contacted, Malacca police chief Dzulkhairi Mukhtar denied allegations that the investigation was not taken seriously.
He also gave assurances that appropriate action would be taken if sufficient evidence were available.
“The investigation has led to the arrest of eight men aged between 20 and 40. At the time of the incident, the suspects - a group of men with their faces covered and armed with machetes - attacked the victim.
“All those arrested were remanded, but the evidence against them and the findings of the investigation were not significant enough to obtain prosecutorial directions from the Attorney-General’s Chambers. All suspects were released on police bail under Section 118 of the Criminal Procedure Code,” he told Malaysiakini.
He added that CCTV footage obtained from the scene had been fully analysed.
“However, it does not contain clear or conclusive evidence that can directly link any individual to the incident, as all the suspects had their faces covered at the time.
“Investigations are ongoing, and the police do not rule out the possibility of new developments should additional evidence be obtained,” he said.
He further said that on Dec 23 last year, a police report was lodged and an investigation paper has been opened regarding threats against the victim’s father under Section 506 of the Penal Code for criminal intimidation.
Contradictions over travel restrictions
Dzulkhairi further said that five suspects who remain at large have been blacklisted, including restrictions at the country’s border entry points.
“In June 2025 and August 2025, we arrested two suspects. The investigation papers were referred to the AGC, and the subjects were released on bail under Section 118 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
“Efforts to trace them are ongoing, including checks on their last known addresses and related locations.
“The Jasin district police headquarters has also publicised these wanted suspects on the official Facebook page,” he said.
However, Malaysiakini’s checks on Jan 28 on the immigration travel status website found that all eight suspects faced no restrictions on travelling overseas.
They are believed to still be in the country based on records of fuel subsidy usage under Budi95 and assistance received under the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (Sara) programme.
‘Justice delayed is justice denied’
The family’s lawyer, Daniel Savarimuthu, urged the authorities not to delay the case and demanded that the masterminds and all members of the group involved be arrested immediately and charged in court.
He stressed the legal principle that “justice delayed is justice denied”.
“Initially, police informed us that three suspects had been arrested. However, they were released on police bail. Since then, there has been no progress.
“In December 2025, the delay in this case was reported in the Tamil media. After that, the police arrested another suspect. Still, there was no action - meaning the suspect was released after being remanded for a few days.
“Our client’s family is now under immense pressure and deeply worried that their child’s case has, to this day, not been taken seriously by the authorities.
“The family also hopes that Bukit Aman and the AGC will pursue this investigation seriously,” he told Malaysiakini.
Daniel said, to date, police have yet to issue any official statement on the status of the investigation.
“In the police report, based on CCTV information from the scene, our client lodged a complaint against eight individuals who also reside in Jasin.
“We received information that the suspects are in hiding but frequently return to their homes in Jasin. Despite informing the police, there has been no swift action. Jasin is not a large city like Kuala Lumpur – how can the police not be able to track them down for a whole year?
“The client’s family has also received threats from one of the suspects via WhatsApp calls,” he said.
Malaysiakini has contacted the AGC for comment.
- Mkini
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.