No cover-up in Kugan's death, says deputy IGP

The High Court in Kuala Lumpur was told today that there was no cover-up in the death of police detainee A Kugan.

Deputy inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar, in a witness statement tendered to the court, said the police left no stone unturned in the investigations into the case.

Khalid (left) was the Selangor police chief when Kugan, 23, died while in police custody on Jan 20, 2009.

Six days earlier, the deceased was picked up on suspicion of involvement in a luxury car theft.

Khalid, 55, who is the first defendant in a RM100 million lawsuit by Kugan’s mother, N Indra, said the three-year imprisonment meted out by the Sessions court to police personnel V Navindran on June 11, this year for voluntarily causing hurt to Kugan, showed the police and the government did not condone abuse of authority.

He also said the allegations by Indra (right) that police had failed to ensure her son’s security or that he had issued misleading public statements were without basis.

He said the statement he issued on Kugan’s death as a result of pulmonary oedema was based on a report by Dr Abd Karim Tajudin dated Jan 21, 2009, which he obtained through the investigating officer.

Indra filed the suit on Jan 13, this year, in which she also named Navindran, former Subang Jaya police chief ACP Zainal Rashid Abu Bakar, the inspector-general of police and the government, as the second to fifth defendants.

In her statement of claim, the plaintiff alleged that the defendants had failed to ensure the security, health and well-being of her son while he was in detention.

Justice VT Singham adjourned the case to tomorrow.