The police have been accused of trying to cover up the death of security guard Sugumar Chelladuray, who was allegedly handcuffed, smeared with turmeric and beaten by four police officers.

“We refer to the claim by Kajang police chief that police did not beat C Sugumar to death and that he died of a heart attack.

“This statement is a blatant attempt by police to cover-up the case, with the connivance of the Serdang Hospital,” said lawyers N Surendran and Latheefa Koya, representing the victim’s family.

TNONEhey demanded that the case be classified as murder under Section 302 of the Penal Code.

The duo, in a statement this morning, said eyewitnesses claim to have seen the incident, but the police had not taken any of their statements.

“Three eyewitnesses have come forward who have testified that Sugumar was chased down by the police, handcuffed, beaten and smeared with turmeric.

“How can the police claim that there was no foul play, when they have not even recorded the statements of these three witnesses?”

Yesterday the police classified Sugumar’s case as 'sudden death' due to a blockage in his heart and that there were “no other injuries”.

The lawyers however maintain that they have observed lacerations on the deceased “consistent with a struggle”.

Surendran and Latheefa noted that Sugumar had no health problems and was only 40 years old.

“It is unbelievable that a healthy man should suddenly collapse and die immediately upon arrest.”

They said that when they viewed the body, the victim was still handcuffed and with traces of turmeric powder on his face.

“There were also lacerations consistent with a struggle against the police assailants as described by the witnesses.

“The police attempt to exonerate themselves by issuing false statements is thus a serious perversion of the course of justice,” they said.

'Breach of medical ethics'
 
The lawyers also slammed Serdang Hospital - that they accused of having a “history of falsifying post-mortem findings in favour of the police authorities” - for attempting to prohibit them from accessing the victim’s remains.

“Yesterday, Serdang Hospital once again breached medical ethics by refusing to let Sugumar’s family see the body, on instructions from the police.

“The family were only allowed to see the body upon the insistence of lawyers and activists, after four hours of waiting.”

They cited how in the past the hospital had falsely claimed that A Kugan died of water in the lungs when in fact he had been beaten to death in police custody.

“The Serdang pathologist Prof Dr Abdul Karim Tajuddin was subsequently found guilty by the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) of professional misconduct for falsifying Kugan’s post-mortem findings.”

They said Sugumar’s family intends to lodge complaints against Serdang Hospital and its pathologists with the MMC

“We also urge the inspector-general of police (IGP) to allow and facilitate the carrying out of a second post-mortem upon Sugumar’s remains.

“Until the second post-mortem is carried out satisfactorily, the family will not claim the body.”