Wife appeals coroner’s finding that husband took own life in fire

 

Kannadasan Veerasamy, 34, died in a fire in the storeroom of a car service centre in Bukit Puchong on Nov 19, 2021. (File pic)

PETALING JAYA: The family of a workshop supervisor killed in a 2021 fire has appealed against a coroner’s ruling that he took his own life.

Kannadasan Veerasamy’s widow, Revathi Elangovan, told FMT she does not agree with a finding made by coroner Rasyihah Ghazali last month that Kannadasan started the fire which killed him in a storeroom at his workplace in Bukit Puchong.

Revathi disputes a finding that Kannadasan, who was 34, committed suicide due to financial problems. She said there was no evidence before the court to suggest her husband was in debt.

During the proceedings, an accounts executive based at the company’s headquarters in Bangi claimed that Kannadasan had admitted to misappropriating RM57,000 belonging to his employer.

Personnel from the fire and rescue department at the scene of the fire. (Santiah Elangovan pic)

The court was also told that he had borrowed RM19,000 from a friend.

However, the witnesses did not provide any documentary proof to back their claims, said Revathi.

She said the accounts executive did not produce any of the company’s accounting records in court.

“As for the RM19,000 loan, the policeman who investigated the case admitted in court that he was not shown any proof that Kannadasan had borrowed the money,” said Revathi.

She said the witness was also unable to provide any document to prove she gave him a loan.

“She did not even have a WhatsApp message to show she lent Kannadasan money. I don’t understand how a person can come to court, claim someone owes them money, and not provide proof,” said Revathi.

“Also, both Kannadasan’s boss and his friend testified in court that they did not pressure him to return the money, so why would he kill himself?” she added.

Revathi also asked why her husband’s employer would continue to entrust Kannadasan with the task of banking in the workshop’s daily takings if he had admitted to misappropriating RM57,000 from the company,

In addition, she questioned the veracity of a suicide note Kannadasan is alleged to have written. She said the family was not asked for samples of the deceased’s handwriting samples for comparison.

“The handwriting expert who gave evidence could not determine whether it was written by Kannadasan.

“Also, my name was spelt wrong. How can a husband not know how to spell his wife’s name?”

She also said the lighter allegedly used to start the fire was not tendered in evidence, and there were contradictions in reports identifying the cause of fire and whether petrol was found on her deceased husband’s body.

The family’s lawyer, S Vinesh, said the appeal was filed at the Shah Alam High Court on Jan 4.

The court has yet to release the coroner’s grounds of judgment and notes of proceedings.

The appeal is fixed for case management on March 13. - FMT