The mother of a missing police detainee told a 'John Doe' inquest today that she was able to recognise a body fished out from the Klang river as that of her son because it was not highly decomposed at the time.

Magistrate Nazran Mohd Sham, who is sitting as coroner, was shown photographs of the corpse taken soon after it was found on May 23 last year. The body has been lying in the Universiti Malaya Medical Centre mortuary since then.

This morning, G Sara Lily (in photo) said the features and marks on the skin were still recognisable when the body was found.

She was therefore sure that it was that of her son, G Francis Udayappan, 24, who had gone missing while being detained at the Brickfields police station in relation to an alleged petty theft on April 14 last year.

"The right part of his skull was missing but I still could recognise his face. I recognised the eyes and the teeth, especially since there were two which were particularly deformed," she said in response to questions from her lawyer M Puravalen.

"Everything was the same as that of my son Francis...the same."

Sara Lily, who has accused the police of fatally assaulting Francis while in custody and throwing his body into the river, said the tattoos on the body were the same as those her son had.

The police, who have denied foul play, have claimed that Francis had escaped by jumping into the Klang river flowing behind the Brickfields district police headquarters.

Tattoos 'still clear'

Subsequent photographs, taken soon after her first visit, showed the body had decomposed and was devoid of good skin tissue.

"The body was not like that when I first saw it. Only the lower right hand had lost its skin and flesh. The right hand and chest area were still okay," she said when showed the photos of the body in a more decomposed state.

The coroner was also shown a photograph of Francis, taken about two years before his disappearance, which depicted his physique, features and tattoos.

"I recognised the tattoo as it was still sharp and clear when I first saw the body. The fingers, which had another tattoo of the letters 'L.O.V.E' were there. I also recognised his height and shape," said Sara Lily.

She also said the underwear found on the body was the same brand, size and colour as those she had bought for Francis a few days before he was detained.

"I buy him all his underwear. He never likes buying them himself. I bought him new ones just before his engagement on April 10 (2004)," she said providing the court with samples of the clothing.

Puravalen asked her if she had initially informed the police of this, to which she replied in the affirmative.

Just before proceedings ended, Sara Lily pleaded with the coroner to return her "son's body" to her and began crying.

The inquest will continue on Sept 28.