in a police station reignited a public outcry about custodial deaths. The 22-year-old was laid to rest after his hearse and thousands of mourners travelled 20km through hot sun and driving rain from the University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) to the USJ8 police station where he died before finally making its way to the cemetery.
The Selangor government has undertaken the costs of the funeral on "humanitarian grounds", Kapar MP S. Manickavasagam said, adding he had thanked Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim for the gesture.
During the funeral procession, thousands of mourners who accompanied his grieving family and 
several lawmakers had shouted "Polis Pembunuh" and "We want Justice" with some unfurling banners that said "Polis Pembunuh Berlesen".
The crowd slowed traffic in Puchong and brought it to a standstill in front of the USJ8 police station where a police helicopter hovered overhead during brief family prayers.
The crowd also shouted the name of Hindraf leader P. Uthayakumar and the outlawed organisation before leaving the police station as police watched but did not take action.
"The attendance shows the outrage of the public. I hope the Barisan Nasional government takes heed," said Sivarasa Rasiah, who is Subang MP, while joining the funeral procession.
"Eleven (policemen) have been identified but no arrest. This is telling the public that there is a double standard when investigating policemen," he added.
Despite some antagonism from the crowd, police had provided escort for the procession that began from the University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) at 1.45pm. During the journey to the police station, the crowd had cheered the police "Polis bagi escort" while others blasted the police, shouting "Polis pembunuh Kugan".
Police had earlier arrested five men wearing Hindraf T-shirts as they threw a tight cordon around the medical centre for the suspected car thief's funeral. They only allowed some 50 people, including family and several lawmakers, to claim Kugan's body.
Lawyer Gobind Singh Deo said family and friends paid respects at the mortuary five at a time. Police had earlier chased away reporters and nearly 100 supporters around the mortuary waiting to pay respects.
The Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) and Light Strike Force had cordoned off the teaching hospital this morning but crowds, responding to text messages, have turned up for the funeral procession. Several tried to 
go through the barricade but police ordered them to disperse.
Police arrested two men when the crowd was dispersing just after noon. The government had banned the Hindraf movement last year, making all its symbols illegal, after it organised a massive protest in November 2007. Five Hindraf leaders are under ISA detention.
Another two were arrested later for inciting the crowd, police said. They also wore Hindraf T-shirts.
The latest arrest is Hindraf legal adviser R.S. Thanendran, who also wore a Hindraf T-shirt.
"I don't see why anyone has been arrested. We are not here to make trouble," Gobind, who is also Puchong MP, told reporters.
"They are just here to pay last respects," said Kapar MP S. Manikavasagam, who said he will lodge a police report against Selangor police chief Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar for making conflicting statements over Kugan's death.
Kugan, a 22-year-old insurance claims executive, was arrested on Jan 14 for allegedly being involved in a luxury car-theft ring. He died on Jan 20 after drinking some water, police claimed. An initial autopsy said he died of "fluid in the lungs".
But the Attorney-General's Chambers has classified the case as murder after an outcry by the 
family and lawmakers, and a second autopsy over the weekend found external injuries and phlegm in his lungs.
The family and authorities are waiting for detailed toxicological and tissue tests in the final autopsy report.
Critics have said Kugan's death is the latest in custody deaths in Malaysia, mostly among Indians detained by police.
In 2007, then Internal Security Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had stated there were 106 deaths in custody between 2000 and 2006. No updated statistics have been issued since then.
Lawyer N Surendan disagreed that it was a racial issue, saying it affected all Malaysians. "Deaths in detention happen to all races," he said.
Eleven police personnel from the USJ8 Taipan police station have been transferred to desk duties pending the outcome of the investigations. A special police team from the Bukit Aman federal headquarters is probing the case and authorities expect to make charges within a week.
Source : malaysiakini.com & themalaysianinsider.com.my
12 comments:
Kugan is a criminal. One of the worst and notorious. If the senseless criminal can be so brutal at such a young age, you can imagine how he had treated the police while in custody and how the police would react. The parents must be responsible but judging by the way they had immortalised Kugan The Criminal, and stormed into the hospital, you know how they had raised Kugan.
Police keep us away from criminals like Kugan. And while we sleep soundly at home, I don't care how police did it. If I had been Kugan's victim, this is precisely what I wanted to happen to him. Court procedures is too lengthy that it only upholds justice to the criminal and not the victim. Kugan had shown every single criteria of an evil criminal. Detained after brutal car chase, showed the police to 15 hijacked car and admitted to traumatising victims with crash-and-rob style of crime.
An innocent would have been cooperative and there should be no reason the police can be forceful. It's not everyday that criminal in police custody died, Kugan must be a very disgusting one.
Police is the hero in this one, Kugan and the huha huha family around him may have tasted so much money out of his deeds and now feel at loss.
Sick!!
to anonyous :
another sick guy/girl out there who , does not understand what we all really fighting for , its not Kugan , you should know what it is .....
so you must be fighting for other criminals in general?
or is it criminals from a certain ethnic only?
Come on, let the police do their work. Appreciate the peace.
so is that ok , police kill your sister or bother , wife in jail ? after bring them to police station just for enquiry ?
the problem is police overdoing their job , can't you see ? police are just police , implement the law , not law maker who can pass kill judgment on a person .
even indians just 8% in this country , but more than 90% criminals die in detention are Indians, now you tell , who are being racist here ? we Indians or your honest Police department ?????
for sure im appreciating the peace ,
To some extent I do agree with Anonymous. Kugan might not have cooperated with the police and hence the beating. But then again, the beatings were too brutal. It does not justify the non-cooperation.
On the other hand, kugan has led to the discovery of stolen luxury cars, what happen to that investigation ? Could it be that the syndicate is linked to some well known people who Kugan can identify. Hence to solve the case, he was beaten to death and police can claim that another luxury car theft is solved.
Kugan might be the runner for the theft but the mastermind is out there who might be well connected.
murti :
i accept your points bro ,
we must emphasis that kugan is police "Suspect" , just suspect . we can't tag someone as a criminal until that person proven guilty in the court . Even many politicians out there walking freely with few cases on their name , the are free because they influential , Kugan killed because , he just a INDIAN , ...
To Townguy,
Only one point I would like to differ is that "Kugan was killed because he is an Indian". I think we should not be racist on this as I believe there are many non-Indians being killed also.
Then, we do not know how Kugan behaved in the lockup. To what extent did he "instigate" the police to lose control.
murti:
maybe kugan over react , yes
again , why , even Indians just 8% in this counrty , yet 90% criminals killed in jails are Indians?
is only indian criminals over react ? or , other race criminals are behave good ? or the police mans being racist ?
Dear Townguy,
May I know from where did you get the data that 90% of deaths in prison are Indians ? Anil Netto's blog mentions there were 1,535 custodial deaths from 2003 to 2004 whereas Naga's blog list a total of 15 tortures and deaths of Indians in prison which is only 1%.
murti :
i get the fact from no where , if you realise/notice all this time , how many case related to other race suspects killed in custody compare to Indian suspect in news media ?
veeeeery rare we see news of a chinese or malay killed when in custody . Indians common , no one can deniy this fact .
Dear Townguy,
In that case, I think the 90% is over exaggerated because you see, based on Anil Netto's blog, total custodial death is 1,535 whereas Indians make up 15 durig the same period. I think we as Indians are being racist and over reacting. There are many more non-Indians getting killed but not getting the coverage maybe.
if what anonymous said is correct "Kugan had shown every single criteria of an evil criminal. Detained after brutal car chase, showed the police to 15 hijacked car and admitted to traumatising victims with crash-and-rob style of crime", then how do think his victims will feel.
Anyway, it is inhuman to torture a person the way he was tortured regardless of race.
Guys,
The issue here isnt about the race of the criminal. Again it is indeed wrong to address someone as a criminal...i am sure u have heard of innonecent till proven guilty!. Kugan was a suspect of an alleged car theft...again i repeat a suspect.
YES the police have done their job well in maintaning peace but one can never deny that brutal beating and torture is never in the authority of the police. If kugans death is proven has death caused by police torture, the police should answer for it regradless of what kugans race could have been....justice is for all. Being in authority does not and has never been a right to take justice in your own hands.
But i would also like to point out here that certain groups have taken this as an opportunity to show theoir outrage, again this not being the root of it.It is very evident in statements and the way this whole issue has been handled. I belive now its the job of the lawyers, courts and the police to put an end to this outrage.The public should take the back seat now and not make things worse.
For some indians,lets handle this the professional way, enough of the hooliganism. For parents, this is indeed a lesson, we play an imporatnt role in shaping our childrens life...and knowing what they do for a living,who they hang out with, what time they come home...etc is important.This is indeed lacking in some indian families. Be it 22 or 52..our responsibilty never ends...some parents tend to forget that.Kugans death is one fine example...
So stop debating about this..he is dead..stop using this as a channel to exploit and manipulate issues.I think the world ahs seen enough what our indians can be capable of...what our police can be capable of..what our govt means.NOW is the time to look forward.
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