Inquest into death of guard

The New Straits Times

KUALA LUMPUR: Police have received the green light from the Attorney-General's Chambers to proceed with an inquest to ascertain the circumstances leading to the death of security guard C. Sugumaran.

Selangor police chief Datuk Tun Hisan Tun Hamzah said the inquest was also a form of investigation, adding that no second post-mortem would be carried out on Sugumaran's body.

Sugumaran, 40, died after running amok near his home in Taman Desa Raya, Kajang, last week.

An initial autopsy revealed that Sugumaran had died of coronary artery disease.

Reports, however, claimed that Sugumaran was beaten by four policemen and a mob of about 20 people as they tried to subdue him.

Sugumaran, said to have a history of mental illness, was handcuffed with his hands behind his back.

He died at the scene. His family had demanded that a second autopsy be conducted.

"The inquest will determine how Sugumaran died," Tun Hisan said after the launching of an electronic magazine titled "Beyond" at Sunway University in Subang Jaya.

"We have recorded 109 statements thus far in this case."

Police will obtain a date from the magistrate for the inquest and those with information on the incident have been urged to come forward to facilitate investigations.

About 50 people gathered outside Bukit Aman federal police headquarters at 10am yesterday, where they sat and shouted for five hours for a second autopsy be done.

Another protest has been planned in Putrajaya on Monday, said Parti Keadilan Rakyat vice-president N. Surendran.