The witness, Muhamad Sabqi Md Saleh, said he first saw the yellow powder on the deceased’s face when his colleague Khalid Nordin turned Sugumar’s body over to apply cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
At the time, he said, Sugumar was already subdued and lying on the ground with his belly down and face turned to the left.
The security guard was still struggling to resist arrest but was held down by police officer Ahmad Lotfi Abd Rahim and about eight members of the public, he said.
Khalid, who was driving the police car that Muhamad Sabqi was in and testified later today, also told the inquest that he was clueless about the yellow powder.
The incident took place on Jan 23, 2013, and ended with Sugumar dead and still in his handcuffs at the very spot he was arrested.
The
yellow powder, reportedly turmeric, was applied by a police officer
described as ‘short, bald and with a potbelly’, according to eyewitness T
Panirselvam (left), who was speaking to the media soon after the incident. However, the reason for this is still unknown.He also told Malaysiakini that Sugumar had been beaten by the police and the crowd.
Today is the first day of a three-day coroner’s inquest at the Shah Alam Court Complex, with deputy public prosecutor Noor Husnita Mohd Radzi assisting the inquest and lawyers Eric Paulsen and Michelle Yesudas holding a watching brief on behalf of Sugumar’s family.
Muhamad Sabqi told the coroner today that Ahmad Lotfi - who is also the officer-in-charge of police station (OCS) at Batu 14, Hulu Langat - had arrived earlier on a motorcycle after receiving his call for backup and then chased down Sugumar on foot.
When he caught up with Ahmad Lotfi, he said, he was instructed to handcuff Sugumar. When done, Ahmad Lotfi handed him another handcuff and then told him to apply the second pair of handcuffs, which he carried out.
“It is because the suspect was aggressive,” he told Shah Alam coroner Rozi Bainon when lawyer Paulsen asked him why Sugumar was restrained with two pairs of handcuffs.
He added that it is not normal procedure to handcuff a person twice at the same time.
Under repeated questioning by the deputy public prosecutor, Muhamad Sabqi testified that he did not see anyone beat Sugumar.
Instead, he saw Sugumar being held down by his arms and shoulders. Members of the public also pulled his Sugumar’s arms up to help with the handcuffing.
To a question from Paulsen during cross-examination however, Muhamad Sabqi said he would not have seen what happened to Sugumar before he arrived.
‘My view was obstructed’
“I didn’t see the suspect during the arrest because I had just got out of my car and my view was obstructed by the members of the public,” the 26-year old cop explained, when Noor Husnita asked him for the reason.
Muhamad Sabqi added that although he could see Ahmad Lotfi arriving on the scene, he only caught glimpses of him chasing Sugumar and could not see how he ended up lying on the ground.
After applying the first pair of handcuffs, Muhamad Sabqi said Sugumar was still struggling, but by the time the second pair of handcuffs was applied, he looked tired and exhausted.
“I asked the public to leave. Cpl Khalid lifted the suspect (to bring him to the patrol car) but he (Sugumar) didn’t move.
“Cpl Khalid asked me to call the ambulance,” he said, adding that Khalid immediately turned Sugumar over to apply CPR while the handcuffs were still on.
It was also at this time that he realised that Ahmad Lotfi had already left the scene.
The ambulance was contacted at 6.45pm on, and arrived from the Pekan Batu 14 Health Clinic after about an hour.
However, in his testimony later, Khalid disputed this and said no ambulance had arrived despite a call being made.
Instead, other police personnel in the area set up a cordon and a forensics team arrived to examine the scene at about 9pm or 9.30pm.
Sugumar was eventually taken to Serdang Hospital at about 11.30pm on a police Land Rover.
Khalid also explained that he did not give Sugumar CPR, but was pressing on his chest and patting on his cheeks in an attempt to wake him up.
Earlier today, both Muhamad Sabqi and a laksa stall operato, Mohamad Johan Che Man, testified that Sugumar was behaving “aggressively” that day.
Johan said although he didn’t know Sugumar, he recognised him because the deceased was often seen near his stall.
“He looked normal on normal days, but on Jan 23 he looked aggressive...
“He was holding a metal hammer and hitting an electrical pole with it, while shouting at passers-by,” he said, adding that he then proceeded to call the police.
Muhamad Sabqi, who received the report of a man running amok at 6.05pm from his station, arrived at the scene to see Sugumar beating a burger stall at Taman Desa Raya.
“We called Batu 14 station for backup, because the suspect was aggressive,” he said.
The inquest resumes with Khalid’s cross-examination tomorrow, while Ahmad Lotfi is also expected to testify tomorrow.
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