Suicide bid by shootout suspect’s sister

By Neville Spykerman

SHAH ALAM, Nov 12 – Overcome with grief for her baby brother who was shot dead by police, R. Seetha poured weedkiller for herself and her four children in Klang this morning and told them to “drink it so you can see uncle”.

The 31-year-old mother and two of her children are now in the intensive care unit at the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital (HTAR) while the other two children are in the normal ward, relatives said.

They said Seetha was devastated by the death of her 24-year-old brother R. Surendren, who was among five men “high on the police wanted list” who were gunned down by police in Klang Utama on Sunday.

They claimed that at 8.30am today, Seetha poured weed killer into mugs and gave it to her children to drink with a straw before consuming it herself.

But her elder sister, who was at the house in Kampung Perepat, in Klang, entered the room and managed to pull the mug away before rushing them to a nearby government clinic, from where they taken in an ambulance to HTAR.

Seetha, along with her eldest daughter Darshini, nine, and her only son, Kugendran, are in critical care while her two other daughters Usharani, seven, and Navina, three, are in a normal ward.

She and her lorry driver husband M. Manimaran, who live in Gamencheh, Negri Sembilan, were in Klang, with their children, for the funeral.

Her father R. Rampathy, said Seetha, was very close to Surendren and had been distraught over his death.

“She had been crying each time she looked at Surendren’s picture,” he said, adding he never expected her to try to kill herself and her children.

He also disputed police claims that his son was a criminal.

“My son did not have a police report, had never been arrested or even set foot in a police station.”

The shooting and the attempted suicides is likely to direct more criticism against the police, who have come under fire for being “trigger-happy”, especially towards Indians.

Kapar MP S. Manikavasagam and the leader of the Human Right Party P. Uthayakuamar, who were both at the hospital, threatened to take to the streets should Seetha or any of her children die.

“We will bring their bodies to parliament if they die to drive home the point that the shootings of suspects should stop,” said Uthayakumar.

Manikavasagam said police should have arrested the suspects instead of gunning them down.