C.Sugumar’s Case: The Federal Government has 48 Hours to Allow a Second Autopsy

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PETALING JAYA, June 7: The family of C. Sugumar, who allegedly died when in police custody five months ago, will take action to get back their son’s body which is still stored at the Serdang Hospital of the Federal Government does not perform a second autopsy within 48 hours.

His uncle, A. Kuppusamy said that the family of the deceased has waited for 136 days to receive justice by demanding for a second autopsy but the claim was allegedly thwarted by intervention from the Prime Minister himself.

“My family and I will continue with the late burial of the deceased and the Federal Government will bear the consequences,” he said in a press conference, here at the PKR headquarters today.

In one incident in the evening of 13 January, Sugumar, 40, a security officer, was found dead while his hands were handcuffed and his face was smeared with turmeric powder.

The Serdang Hospital autopsy concluded that the cause of death was due to heart failure but this was rejected by the deceased’s family because three witnesses at the scene of the incident claim to have seen the deceased chased and beaten by police officers.

Several protests have been carried out previously but ultimately caused the Ministry of Health to agree to allow a pathologist from Thailand, Dr Pornthip Rajasunan to perform a second autopsy.

However, in February 2013, Dr Pornthip revealed that he is unable to perform the autopsy because of interference from the Governments of Malaysia and Thailand.

Previously, Padang Seri MP, N Surendran revealed that Dr Pornthip acted this way after Datuk Seri Najib Razak contacted the Thai Prime Minister, Yingluck Shinawatra.

Surendran also claimed that the Federal Government and the Ministry of Health started persecuting the family of the deceased by saying that a second autopsy would require a letter of approval from the court.

He claimed that there is no provision in the laws of this country that states a letter of approval from the court is needed for a second autopsy.

“Why ask the court for permission while the law does not provide for such to perform as second autopsy?” asked Surendran who was also present at the press conference.

Also present at the press conference was Subang MP, Sivarasa Rasiah and the lawyer of the deceased’s family, Latheefa Koya.

Thus, Surendran has urged Najib to allow Dr Pornthip to come to this country or to allow a local pathologist at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital or the University of Malaya Hospital to perform a second autopsy on the deceased.


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