From MP Kapar,
Key witness, Vell Paari, today took the stand to testify in the inquest probing into the mysterious death of former actress K Sujatha.
The son of MIC president Samy Vellu and chief executive officer of the party’s investment arm, Maika Holdings Bhd, was quizzed for almost two hours by DPP Geethan Ram Vincent.
During the questioning, Vell Paari was asked if he had ever engaged in a romantic relationship with the deceased as alleged but the 46-year-old denied it.
“I had no (romantic) relationship with her. I only cared for her as an employer,” he said, adding that he also cared for her as a friend.
He also said that Sujatha knew his family members well and revealed that he had been financing the overseas education of both Sujatha’s brothers from 2003 up until last year.
Although denying to be close to Sujatha, Vell Paari told the court that he had also been regularly taking Sujatha to clinics for her ovarian cyst treatment.
Upon the news of Sujatha’s death, speculations that Vel Paari had an intimate relationship with her was rife. Sujatha had worked as Vel Paari’s personal assistant since 1999 up to her death.
PKR supreme council member, S Manikavasagam, who claimed to have evidence linking Vell Paari to her death, then lodged a police report claiming that there were criminal elements involved.
Pressure from various parties prompted inquest
Vell Paari was subsequently questioned by the police for five hours in connection with the case.
Pressure from various parties have also prompted an inquest into the matter to be held. Today is the first day.
Meanwhile, Vell Paari today told the inquest that Sujatha had accidentally drank the poisonous weedkiller Paraquat prior to her death on June 19, 2007.
He said on that day Sujatha had called him through his mobile phone and said that she accidentally drank poison. She was also crying.
“I told her to relax and I will be there to take her to the hospital. She sounded emotional, crying but I am not sure (if she sounded like she was in pain),” Vell Paari told the court.
When asked by the prosecutor if he had asked Sujatha how he had accidentally drank poison, Vell Paari said he did not as he was to confused at the time and wanted to focus only on taking her to the hospital.
Vell Paari was also asked why he had opted to take her to the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital in Klang, some 45 km away from Sujatha’s Sang Suria condominiums on Jalan Ipoh instead of the much nearer Kuala Lumpur General Hospital.
Father sees no foul play in daughter’s death
Replying to the question, Vell Paari said his first cousin, Dr SP Sakthiveloo, whom he had contacted earlier for advice, had told him that private hospitals would not take in self-poisoning patients due to “medico-legal repercussions”.
According to him, his cousin suggested to him that Sujatha be taken to the Klang Hospital. It is also learnt that Sakthiveloo is a staff at the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital.
The inquest has been postponed to tomorrow and Vell Paari is expected to be called in again to testify. He has yet to explain what had transpired on the day of Sujatha’s death.
Earlier today, the inquest also called in Sujatha’s father, Krishnan Kunchan Nair, to testify.
Krishnan was asked if he thought that there was foul play behind the death of her daughter.
The 53-year-old, however, said he does not believe that there was any foul play behind her death.
Another witness called in to testify was Sujatha’s former housemate, G Tanusha Nair who told the court that she was unaware if Sujatha had any intimate relationship with Vell Paari.
source: Malaysiakini.
Comment : Manikavasagam was informed that Police will serve Subpeona requesting his to present to court however he doesn’t receive yet.
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