After Nine Months Man S Death In Police Custody Still Unresolved

---

 


The night her husband died, S Rajeswari’s journey to the hospital was met with a downpour.
She had rushed from the Bandar Sunway police station to the Universiti Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) on her motorcycle, and arrived nearly an hour late due to the bad weather and slippery roads. 
Upon arrival, the 37-year-old immediately saw the MyKad of her husband, M Manisegaran, on the hospital counter, but was not allowed to see him.
Eventually, after anxiously waiting for more than an hour, two doctors approached Rajeswari to inform her of his death.
“I couldn’t believe it. At 8.20pm he said he was coming home, and just hours later, the doctor said he was dead,” she said, recalling the incident.
S RajeswariWhen she was finally allowed to see her husband, who was 41, Rajeswari claimed there were visible injuries on his body and face, including two broken teeth.
“I am sure the chest injuries were recent. His teeth were broken and still in his mouth. There was blood in his eyes,” she said.
Rajeswari had immediately taken photos of her husband’s body for her own record and urgently requested a post-mortem examination.
A night of confusion
Earlier that night, her husband was detained at the Bandar Sunway police station.
She had been called to meet him there. However, she was only met with further confusion when she arrived.
“That night, at about 8.20pm, my husband called me to say he had just arrived in Bandar Sunway from Johor and was heading home.
“However, less than 20 minutes later, I received another call from my husband. This time, a police officer informed me that he had been detained.
“When I asked why, I was told to go to the Sunway station,” she said.
In a state of confusion, Rajeswari first headed to the Sungai Way police station before being redirected to the Bandar Sunway police station.
She arrived at Bandar Sunway police station around 9.50pm and saw her husband’s motorcycle parked outside.
ADSHowever, Rajeswari claimed that she was prohibited from entering the station and that the police officers had insisted she wait outside.
Shortly after, she saw an ambulance arriving, carrying her husband into the vehicle on a stretcher.
She also said that police officers had denied her request to follow the ambulance.
Eventually, nearly an hour later, an officer finally informed her that her husband had been taken to UMMC. It was then that she immediately rushed to the hospital.
Big family’s life changed forever
Rajeswari and Manisegaran married in 2005 and lived in Kapar, Selangor. They have six biological children and four adopted ones, with their eldest aged 17, and their youngest only four years old.
“Previously, I was a housewife. My husband went to work, and I looked after the house. But now I have to work as a security guard, earning RM1,500 a month.
“I am upset and angry about my husband’s mysterious death, but I still have to support my family. All my children are still in school,” she said.
Recalling her harrowing experience, Rajeswari also claimed that on Feb 23, a foreign doctor who conducted the post-mortem said that his death was likely due to a heart attack.
However, she was then told she would have to wait four months for the full report.
When she queried further about her husband’s chest injuries and broken teeth, the doctor suggested that they might have been caused by emergency CPR procedures or cardiac compression.
The chest area of a deceased M Manisegaran“His answer contradicts the report from the ambulance officer and the doctor at UMMC, who told me that CPR was not performed.
“The ambulance officer and the emergency room doctor told me that my husband was indeed ‘brought in dead’.
“Although I don’t believe my husband died of a heart attack, I decided to wait for the full post-mortem report,” she explained.
According to Rajeswari, her husband’s death certificate only listed the cause of death as “pending further investigation”. 
It also stated the place of death as “brought in dead to UMMC”, indicating that the individual had already died before being brought to the hospital.
Three different causes of death?
In June, the family met the same doctor again to obtain the full post-mortem report. Rajeswari communicated with the doctor through an interpreter.
“Initially, he said my husband died because of panau (a common fungal skin infection). When I got angry, he claimed my husband had used three types of drugs.
“When I got angry at him again, he changed the cause of death yet again. This time, he said my husband died due to fluid in the lungs.”
Rajeswari firmly rejected all his claims.
“My husband had panau for over 20 years, but it was never serious, and I have never heard of anyone dying from panau.
“He was also a healthy and active person. He only had a habit of smoking and drinking beer,” she said.
M ManisegaranEventually, she left the hospital without signing any documentation, citing her dissatisfaction with the doctor’s explanation.
However, Rajeswari has recently contacted the hospital again to obtain the post-mortem report, following advice from her new lawyer. She is expected to wait another few months for the report.
At present, Malaysiakini is unable to verify her claims.
The widow also said that she has been facing difficulties making insurance claims, following her husband’s death.
She explained that the insurance company required a letter from the police confirming his death, yet the police have so far failed to cooperate.
“An officer told me that my husband’s case is now being handled by the team at Bukit Aman. He also helped me contact the investigating officer there.
“In our conversation, the officer confirmed that my husband’s case is still under investigation. When asked about the letter of confirmation of death for the insurance claims, he said it would only be available in August.
“However, until today, my calls have gone unanswered by the police officer,” she said.
Plea for ministerial intervention
Rajeswari is now urging Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail to intervene, after nine months of waiting for her husband’s “mysterious” death to be resolved, to no avail.
“I want to know what happened at the station, why my husband was injured, and why CPR was not performed. My children need answers.
“Every step I take is for the truth and the future of my children. I want to ensure they do not live in confusion and without support. I hope the minister will help me,” she urged.
At the time of publishing, Malaysiakini’s efforts to contact the police for comment have been unsuccessful. - Mkini

---