Malaysia's CID director says no cover up in Kugan case

Kuala Lumpur, Mar 6 (ANI): Malaysian Police have dismissed allegations of a cover up of criminal culpability of police officers and men allegedly involved in, and leading to the death of suspected car thief A. Kugan.

Criminal Investigations Department director Mohd Bakri Zinin said such allegations were without foundation.

He said that in the past, a number of police officers were charged in court for similar offences.

"Indeed, last month, seven police officers were charged in a Kuala Lumpur court for causing hurt to a suspect at the Brickfields police station. In Kugan's case, we just received the second post-mortem report yesterday, and we had promptly acted on it by consulting the Attorney-General's Chambers.

"I therefore, appeal to the people to allow time and space for the investigators to do their jobs and for the prosecutors to carefully deliberate their next course of action," he told reporters here.

Police detained Kugan, 22, suspected of involvement in the theft of luxury cars in Kuala Lumpur and Johor, on January 15. Four days later, he died while in police custody.

Speculation was rife over his death, following injuries on the body, despite the autopsy report stating that death was due to fluid accumulation in the lungs.

However, Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail classified the case as murder and Kugan's death was not because there was water in his lungs.

The family alleged foul play in his death and sought a second post- mortem, which was conducted at the University Malaya Medical Centre.

The results of the second post-mortem stated that Kugan died of kidney failure caused by muscle injury brought about by physical, chemical or biological factors.

His family and various other quarters are now accusing the police of trying to cover-up for their men. (ANI)