Police: Why didn't he report death threats?

The New Straits Times
By S. Arulldas

BUTTERWORTH: Even as the body of lawyer R. Thinakaran was cremated at noon yesterday, police investigations have drawn more questions than answers over events leading to his murder.

Police are baffled as to why the 37-year-old lawyer did not lodge any reports despite having undergone several incidents which involved threats to his life over the past month.

The last incident, prior to his death, occurred on Saturday as Thinakaran was travelling back from Kuala Lumpur.

Family friends said he had complained that four men in a car had intercepted him at Autocity near the Juru toll plaza and threatened him with a parang.

They allegedly told Thinakaran that they would finish him off before speeding away.

Police are also investigating a fire at his Penang Street office earlier this month and another incident where Thinakaran was said to have fallen off the Penang bridge after being pulled out of his burning car.

Among the more than 300 people who paid their last respects at Thinakaran's home yesterday were several magistrates, his lawyer friends, relatives and family members.

The family performed the last rites at the Taman Bagan Ajam home here about 11am before the body was taken to a crematorium in Berapit, Bukit Mertajam.

It was reported that four men cornered Thinakaran in Jalan Baru in Prai as he was about to get out of his car to go to a temple about 11.30am on Monday. He was then forced to drink liquid detergent.

Thinakaran however managed to call a friend before driving to the nearby Seberang Jaya Hospital.

He lapsed into a serious condition about midnight on Tuesday and died of kidney failure soon after.