'My King, bring cops who killed my son to justice'

KUALA LUMPUR: On Jan 14 last year, 22-year-old A Kugan, from Puchong, was arrested to facilitate investigations into a luxury car theft syndicate. Six days later, he was dead.

Family members and opposition politicians who stormed the mortuary found Kugan's body riddled with severe lacerations. A video clip of this was uploaded on the internet and sparked off national outrage.

However, the first mortem concluded that Kugan had died as a result of fluid accumulation in the lungs. Dissatisfied, the family commissioned a second post-mortem, which revealed that the deceased was burnt, beaten and starved during detention.

This morning, Kugan's mother, made her way to the palace's gates for the third time, to seek justice for her son.

After being turned away on the previous two ocassions, this time, N Indra, 42, managed to hand over a petition to a palace official.

'The police took my son and killed him'

Unable to hold back her tears, Indra broke down when met by reporters.

“It has been nearly two years since my son died, but I still cannot get over him or sleep well. The police took my son and killed him. I want all of them charged, give justice for my son," she said.

Following the exposure of the video-clip, Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail had reclassified the case as murder, and it was also revealed that 11 policemen were reassigned to desk duties pending investigations.

But on Oct 1, Constable V Navindran, from the USJ police station, was charged with causing grevious hurt to Kugan. The case is ongoing.

Indra's lawyer, N Surendran, who accompanied his client, said the family was disappointed that only one policemen was charged, and that too for a lesser offence.

"From the trial, we can see that others were involved, yet none of them have been charged. Kugan's family and the public are unhappy that until today, no policeman has been charged with murder.

"This was the worst death in custody in this country, yet only one person is charged. The police appear not to have learnt their lesson,” he added.

'Let Najib answer for her tears'

Surendran said if the police were under the impression that the government would protect them, then such incidents would happen again.

“Until now, there has not been a single apology from the Inspector-General of Police Musa Hassan, Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein and the so-called reformist Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak... let Najib answer for this mother's tears," he said.

Surendran said Kugan's mother had turned to the King, because the police, courts, Home Ministry and the Prime Minister's Deparment had failed to take action and provide justice.

"Therefore we have no choice but to come to the King. This is our last resort," he added.

Apart from Indra and Surendran, the petition was inked by Pakatan Rakyat elected representatives S Manikavasagam (Kapar MP), M Manogaran (Teluk Intan MP) and M Ravi (Port Dickson state rep).

The petition requested the King to ensure that:

* All those responsible for Kugan's death be brought to justice
* Action be taken against Selangor police chief Khalid Abu Bakar for making “false statements”
* To ensure the safety of the rakyat when under police custody
* To set up the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission ( IPCMC)