‘Why did he end up dead in the lockup?’

By Neville Spykerman

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 26 — The family of Kugan Ananthan, today, lashed out at police for hiding behind a wall of silence, over the death of the 22-year-old suspected car-thief.

Kugan’s uncle V.Raviroy said the police have yet to offer an explanation or apology over what had happened and have continued to keep the family in the dark.

The 42-year-old businessman said the family’s anguish started when Kugan disappeared on Jan 14.

“The police never informed us that he was arrested and we only heard about it from an anonymous caller,” Raviroy told The Malaysian Insider.

Even then, the police refused to disclose where he was being detained.

Raviroy claims that Kugan died at 11am on Jan 20 at the Taipan USJ police station but the family was only informed at 9pm by a group of plain-clothed detectives who came to their home in Kinrara, Puchong.

“All they said was that he had died and his body was at the University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC).

However when the family arrived at the mortuary at UMMC, they were told Kugan’s body was at the Serdang Hospital.

“Look what they have put us through,” he said.

Raviroy said whatever Kugan was accused of doing; he did not deserve to die.

“Kugan was only 22, he had his whole life ahead of him, why did he end up dead in the lockup,” he lamented

He said Kugan worked for an insurance claims company and did not have a police record.

Raviroy said the family had lost confidence in the police force, which did not want to allow them to have a second post-mortem.

He was especially critical of the Selangor police chief Datuk Khaild Abu Bakar who he claimed kept issuing statements to the Press but never once came to meet the family or offer an explanation.

“What we know so far about the case is what we read in the newspapers, neither Khalid nor his officers have come to see us.”

Raviroy said they will claim Kugan’s body on Wednesday and he will be cremated at the Puchong Batu 14 crematorium at 2pm.